On Passion Sunday, (the 5th Sunday of Lent) the station is kept at St Peter’s; however, the main event for the pilgrims attending the Station church devotion is not a Mass, but Vespers, after which, the Veil of St. Veronica is exposed for the veneration of the faithful. (We have reported on this before,
most recently in 2012.)
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| The procession before Vespers takes place entirely within the church. When the Litany of the Saints is sung, the names of both St Peter and St Paul are sung twice, according the church’s ancient custom. |
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| When Vespers are finished, the canons and attending clergy descend from the sanctuary and stand in a large circle around the main altar to witness the exposition of the Veil of St Veronica. |
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| Whenever a station is held at St Peter’s, the main altar is covered with relics as seen above. |
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| My thanks to Fausto, another friend and fellow parishioner at Trinità dei Pellegrini, for this unique picture of the Basilica taken from the balcony of the Veronica. |
Monday of Passion Week - Saint Chrysogonus
Tuesday of Passion Week - Saint Cyricacus
The church of Saint Cyriacus was demolished in 1491 to make way for the construction of Santa Maria in Via Lata, to which the station for today was transferrred.
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| The crypt, seen here and in the following two photographs, is partly the remains of an ancient house traditionally said to be one of the places where St Paul stayed when he was in Rome. |
