The Pilgrimage of the 7 Churches
The great mystic, wife, mother, and Saint Bridget of Sweden moved to Rome so as to be close to the center of the Church. It was there in Rome she desired to lay down her life as a holy offering to the Lord for the purpose of renewal and restoration of the Church. Her life was one of prayer, Almsgiving, penance and PILGRIMAGE.
Every day the saintly Bridget would walk, by foot no less, to each of the seven Basilicas of Rome that hold special importance for pilgrims. Every morning after praying the Holy Mass she would set off to make a pious visit to Basilicas dedicated to St Peter, St John Lateran, St Mary Major, St Paul outside the walls, St Lawrence, St Stephen and Holy Cross.The first four are considered MAJOR Basilicas while the last three are considered minor Basilicas yet significant because of what they represent.
As St Bridget would make her daily visit to the seven churches of Rome, taking her across the Eternal City, people of all walks of life would join her.
Several centuries later the custom of making a pilgrimage to each of the seven churches on the same day was resurrected by the equally amazing St Phillip Neri. St Phillip spent the first portion of his life in Rome living in a space across the street from St Bridget House. It is beyond doubt that her example of pilgrimage would influence the holy Phillip in his own age. St Phillip restored the practice of the Seven Churches Pilgrimage as an act of special devotion to the Lord on Holy Thursday.
While the practice of walking or making pilgrimage to the seven Churches of Rome clearly is rooted in Prayer, Penance, and Intercession the practice is not limited to Rome. Translating the importance and significance of St Bridget’s practice to our era we can easily transform our Hearts to the goals of her own heart which is Union to Jesus so as to intercede for the Church. It is a common and praiseworthy practice to visit seven churches on Holy Thursday following the example of St Phillip.
This July we will have an opportunity to pray for the Church, that her wounds of infidelity and division may be healed into the strength of zeal and sanctity. In commemoration of the Feast of St Bridget the Bridgettine sisters will set out on foot to visit Seven Churches in Columbus. As with St Bridget herself, the faithful are welcome to join these daughters of Holy Mother Bridget.
Beginning at the sisters’ convent the pilgrimage will move to Holy Family Church, the Mother Church of the West Side of Columbus. The Church of St Francis of Assisi will be the second point of pilgrimage given that St Bridget followed the penitential customs of the great saint of Assisi and saw herself as a spiritual daughter of the great Penitent Himself. As St Bridget had a fierce devotion to the Wounds of the Passion of Jesus and the suffering He experienced in His Sacred Humanity the third Church on the pilgrimage will be Sacred Heart. Given the voice of Bridget crying out for reform of the church through fidelity to the Most High God the pilgrimage will visit the Lord in the Church dedicated to St John the Baptist. From St John the Baptist the walking Pilgrimage will move towards St Patrick Church and it’s Dominican Priory. Visiting the Lord and praying at the holy relic of Little Margaret of Costello the faithful will be invited to pray with gratitude for the preaching of the gospel first under taken by the Dominican Order. Inspired by the example of St Bridget praying for the Shepherds of the Church the 6th Church of pilgrimage will be St Joseph’s Cathedral. After praying for the intentions of the Holy Father and our Bishop we will make our way to the seventh Church on the pilgrimage which is Holy Cross. At Holy Cross we will pray the Holy Mass and then enter into a Holy Hour offering ourselves to the Heart of Jesus truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. After time spent in the Holy Mass and in Adoration we will walk back to the Convent of St Birgitta.