Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Tuesday 4 April 2023

Tuesday In Holy Week. Lenten Station At The Basilica Of Saint Prisca.



Canterbury Cathedral.
Photo Credit: A. G. Baxter.
lllustration: SHUTTERSTOCK



Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Tuesday in Holy Week.

Station at Saint Prisca's.

Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.

Privileged Feria.

Violet Vestments.



The Basilica of Saint Prisca.
Photo: February 2006.
Source: s. prisca, afternoon light at flickr.com
This image was originally posted to Flickr by antmoose at http://www.flickr.com/
(Wikimedia Commons)



"Roman Pilgrimage:
The Lenten Station Churches".
Available on YouTube at

The Lenten Station is at the Church of Saint Prisca, of whom Saint Paul speaks: “Salute Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, and the Church which is in their house”. This was one of the twenty-five Parishes of Rome in the 5th-Century A.D.

The Epistle, Gradual, Offertory and Communion are a perfect adaptation of the passages in The Old Testament to Christ Persecuted. He is “The Meek Lamb that is carried to be a Victim”, and which God, by a striking revenge on them (Epistle), “delivers from the hand of the sinner” (Offertory).

The Gospel of Saint Mark describes The Death of Christ. The Introit and the Collects show that The Church, which continues The Saving Work of Christ, revives The Mysteries of His Passion (Collect) and “Glories in The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom is our Salvation, Life and Resurrection” (Introit).


English: The Nave.
Basilica of Saint Prisca.
Italiano: Roma, Santa Prisca.
Photo: February 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)




"The Lenten Stations Pilgrimage in Rome".
Available on YouTube at

Like the Catechumens, who formerly were Baptised, and Public Penitents, who were reconciled, at Easter, The Faithful are about to participate, by their Easter Confession and Holy Communion, “in The Mysteries of Our Lord’s Passion in such a manner as to deserve to obtain pardon” Collect).

“May our healing Fasts, in union with The Sacrifices of Christ” (Secret), “purify us from all remains of our old nature, and enable us to be formed anew unto holiness” (Prayer Over The People).

Mass: Nos autem.
Preface: Of The Holy Cross.



Pope Saint John XXIII.
Illustration: CATHOLIC ONLINE

Pope Saint John XXIII (Latin: Ioannes PP. XXIII; Italian: Giovanni XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963), headed The Catholic Church and ruled Vatican City from 1958 until his death in 1963.

In 1953, he was appointed Patriarch of Venice and, accordingly, raised to the Rank of Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca, by Pope Pius XII. As a sign of his esteem, the President of France, Vincent Auriol, claimed the ancient privilege possessed by French Monarchs and bestowed the Red Hat on Roncalli at a Ceremony in the Elysee Palace.


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

Santa Prisca is a Basilica Church in Rome; the Basilica is Devoted to Saint Prisca, a 1st-Century A.D. Martyr, on the Aventine Hill. This Basilica was built in the 4th- or 5th-Century A.D., over a temple of Mithras, and is recorded as the "Titulus Priscæ" in The Acts of The 499 A.D. Synod.

The Mithræum, under Santa Prisca, was first excavated in 1952-1959, through Dutch excavations. The original building was erected circa 95 A.D., and served as Trajan’s Town House until his death. One hundred years later, a Member of The Imperial Family took over the building and built a Mithræum in one part of the Basement, while a Christian Meeting Place was established in the other part.

The original Mithræum had a Central Aisle, a Niche and Side Benches. Fine frescoes were found on the Mithræum walls, as well as a stucco Mithras the Bull Slayer, one of the main images of the Mithras cult. Renovations in 220 A.D., yielded a larger central cult room, and the addition of new ones, while the frescoes were covered with new, more elaborate paintings.


The Apse.
Basilica of Saint Prisca.
Photo: February 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)



These paintings were important to the development of understanding the Mithraic cult. Along with the typical bull slaying scene, so common amongst the cult, other paintings depicted different cult rituals. For example, one painting shows a procession of figures, wearing masks and different coloured tunics, holding what has been presumed to be a piece of liturgical equipment. These paintings have been incorporated in the long standing debate about the admittance of women into the cult.

Around 400 A.D., the Christians took over the Mithræum, destroyed it and built Santa Prisca on top of it. Damaged in the Norman Sack of Rome, the Church was restored several times. The current aspect is due to the 1660 Restoration, which included a new facade by Carlo Lombardi.


His Eminence, Justin Francis Rigali,
Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia.
Currently (March 2017) Cardinal Priest
of the Titulus S. Priscæ.


In the Interior, the Columns are the only visible remains of the ancient Church. Also, a Baptismal Font, allegedly used by Saint Peter, is conserved. The Altar in the Crypt contains the Relics of Saint Prisca; the frescoes in the Crypt are by Antonio Tempesta. Anastasio Fontebuoni frescoed the walls of the Nave with Saints and Angels with The Instruments of Passion.

In the Sacristy, is a painting of The Immaculate Conception with Angels, by Giovanni Odazzi, and, on The High Altar, a Baptism of Santa Prisca, by Domenico Passignano.

The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Priscæ is/was Justin Francis Rigali, Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia (U.S.). Previous Cardinal-Priests include: Angelo Roncalli (1953), later Pope Saint John XXIII.

Pope Saint John XXIII was the last Pope to use Full Papal Ceremony, some of which was abolished after Vatican II, while the rest fell into disuse. His Papal Coronation ran for the Traditional five hours (Pope Paul VI, by contrast, opted for a shorter Ceremony, while later Popes declined to be Crowned).

However, as with his predecessor, Pope Pius XII, he chose to have the Coronation take place on the Balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica, in view of the crowds assembled in Saint Peter's Square, below.


English: Pope Saint John XXIII's Coat-of-Arms.
Polski: Herb Jana XXIII
Date: August 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: User:mAgul
(Wikimedia Commons)



Upon his Election, Roncalli chose "John" as his Regnal Name. This was the first time in 500 years that this name had been chosen; previous Popes had avoided its use since the time of the Anti-Pope, John XXIII, during the Western Schism.

On the choice of his name, Pope Saint John said: "I choose John . . . a name sweet to us because it is the name of our father, dear to me because it is the name of the humble Parish Church where I was Baptised, the Solemn Name of numberless Cathedrals scattered throughout the World, including our own Basilica [Saint John Lateran]. Twenty-two Johns of indisputable legitimacy have [been Pope], and almost all had a brief Pontificate. We have preferred to hide the smallness of our name behind this magnificent succession of Roman Popes."


English: The Organ in the Basilica of Saint Prisca.
Italiano: Santa Prisca: controfacciata e organo.
Photo: February 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)


Upon his choosing the name, there was some confusion as to whether he would be known as John XXIII or John XXIV; in response, John declared that he was John XXIII, thus affirming the Anti-Papal status of Anti-Pope John XXIII.

Before this Anti-Pope, the most recent Popes called John were John XXII (1316–1334) and John XXI (1276–1277). However, there was no Pope John XX, owing to confusion caused by Mediæval historians misreading the Liber Pontificalis to refer to another Pope John between John XIV and John XV.

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