Seven Churches Visitation

The Seven Churches Visitation is an originally Roman Catholic

The tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday probably originated in Rome, as early pilgrims visited the seven basilicas as penance.^[2]

The

The tradition of visiting all seven churches was started by Philip Neri around 1553.^[3][4] He and a few friends would gather before dawn and set out on their "Seven Churches Walk". These pilgrimages were designed to be a counterpoint to the raucous behavior of Carnival.^[5] The Walks became very popular and began to attract others.

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After the

Those who practice this visitation leave the church where they attended the Mass of the Lord's Supper and travel to nearby churches to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. This is more common in urban areas where churches are in close proximity, thus making traveling easier. There are no set prayers in the Catholic Church for this devotion, except to pray for the intentions of the reigning pope and recite the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and Gloria Patri. People also opt to pray the Stations of the Cross.

Saint Philip Neri drew up an itinerary in order to combine conviviality and the sharing of a common religious experience by discovering of the heritage of the early Saints. In modern times, pilgrimages are often arranged by parish organizations and co-ordinated with other parishes in the area.^[7][8]

In the Philippines, the tradition is called Visita Iglesia. The general practice is to visit seven churches either on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, and recite the Stations of the Cross. The pious and able would double the number of churches to fourteen, while the infirm and elderly usually visit only one or a handful. Until the 1970s, people recited all fourteen Stations in each church, but the more recent form is to pray two Stations per church.

The more devout would carry a wooden cross with them, while others consider the ritual an opportunity for sightseeing. An offering is usually made at each church and to the poor as a form of

Since 2010, a bicycle tour version known as Bisikleta Iglesia has gained popularity: pilgrims would bike along a route covering seven churches, and as a group pray the Stations in the usual manner.^[11][12][13]

In the US, Holy Week observances in a particular area often reflect the traditions of the immigrant population who settled there.

• In Buffalo, New York the pilgrimage is promoted by a local neighborhood preservation group to highlight the cultural heritage of immigrant parishes. In 2014 the group handled over 700 requests for pilgrimage/tour information.^[14]
• In New Orleans it is customary to visit nine churches on Good Friday.^[15]
• The Seven Churches Visitation has been done in an
  process to each church in sequence, stopping to pray at every one of the seven churches.^[1]

• Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome

• Visita Iglesia website of the
  Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
• Broadway Fillmore Alive website of the One Night and Seven Churches in Buffalo, NY - USA