Lenten Station At St. Laurence's in Panisperna

Pictures taken from Wikipedia (the free encyclopaedia)

Non-Italic Text taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal for Thursday of the First Week in Lent

Italic Text taken from Wikipedia (the free encyclopaedia)

Station at St. Laurence in Panisperna

Indulgence of 10 years and 10 Quarantines

Violet Vestments

 San Lorenzo in Panisperna

The Station at Rome was established by Pope Gregory II, in the old Church of St. Laurence in Panisperna, erected to the glory of the heroic Deacon on the very spot where he suffered martyrdom.

The Church reminds the Catechumens that, since the coming of Jesus, it is no longer the race of Israel alone that has the promise, but that all can enter the Church by Baptism and partake of the Eucharistic bread of the children of God.

If the heathen will solemnly deny the evil deeds of his fathers and practise the Christian law of Penance and Charity (Epistle), his Prayer will be granted, as was that of the woman who belonged to the accursed race of Canaan, but whose faith was great (Gospel).

Let us seek in the Eucharist the strength required to observe Lent. For it is our fasting, in conjunction with the sacrifice of Jesus, that will obtain for us salvation (Secret, Communion, Postcommunion).

Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Panisperna, Cappella di Santa Brigida

Church of Saint Laurence in Panisperna, Chapel of Saint Brigid

San Lorenzo in Panisperna, or San Lorenzo in Formoso, is a church on Via Panisperna, Rome, central Italy. It was built on the site of its dedicatee's martyrdom.
Panisperna most probably refers to the tradition of the Poor Clares in the adjacent convent of distributing bread and ham (pane e perna) on August 10, Lawrence's feast day, in remembrance of his distributing funds from the church to the poor. Formoso refers to Pope Formosus who built the first attested church here.

Tradition states that the first building was constructed during the reign of Emperor Constantine I, only 100 years after the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, though the first written evidence is from 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII rebuilt the church and annexed an abbey to it. That abbey was given to the Benedictines in 1451, and then had the Poor Clares settled in it by Cardinal Jacopo Colonna in 1896, who also restored the church and monastery. The Franciscans now serve the church. In the fifth century, this church was one of Rome's Stational Churches visited by the Pope on its titular day: the Thursday of the first week in Lent. Recent popes have revived this ancient custom.

The present church is a result of a rebuilding by Carlo Rainaldi in 1575-1576, under Pope Gregory XIII. It was at this time it became known as 'in Panisperna' rather than 'in Formoso', and that the present facade was built. A new outer portico was added in the 17th century, then restored and decorated with images of Sts Lawrence and Francis of Assisi in 1893-1894 by Pope Leo XIII who in 1843 had been ordained bishop in this church. Leo also added a steep flight of steps in front of the church, leading to a tree-lined courtyard. There is a modern bronze statue of St Bridget of Sweden here.

 

St. Laurence's martyrdom by Pasquale Cati di Jesi (1589) in the Church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna

A medieval house is preserved next to the church with an exterior staircase, one of the few such houses to have been preserved in Rome.

The church has a single nave with three chapels on each side.

• South side

1. Includes a painting of St Clare of Assisi (1756) by Antonio Nessi, and a ceiling fresco of Glory of St Lawrence by Antonio Bicchierai.
2. Contains the tomb of the brothers St Crispin and St Crispinianus, with a painting by Giovanni Francesco Romano.
3. Painting of the Immaculate Conception by Giuseppe Ranucci.

• North side

1. Painting of Stigmata of St Francis by Niccolò Lapiccola.
2. Chapel of St Bridget, where she was buried before her body was moved to Sweden. She had used to beg for alms for the poor outside this church, and prayed before the crucifix by the high altar. Now, a martyr named Victoria lies underneath the altar in the chapel. The painting of St Bridget Praying before the Crucifix is by Giuseppe Montesanti, and was painted in 1757.
3. Includes an 18th century crucifix of the Roman school.

Under its porch is a chapel containing the oven said to have been used for St. Lawrence's martyrdom. A late 16th century fresco of maryrdom of Saint Lawrence behind the high altar (said to be by Pasquale Cati, a mediocre pupil of Michelangelo) portrays the martyrdom. The crucifix by the high altar is from the 14th century.