Peterborough Cathedral.
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Tuesday of The Second Week in Lent.
Station at Saint Balbina's.
Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.
English: Basilica of Saint Balbina, Rome.
Italiano: Roma - Chiesa di S. Balbina.
Photo: October 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: MarkusMark
(Wikimedia Commons)
Basilica of Santa Balbina, Rome.
Available on YouTube at
The Lenten Station is at The Sanctuary of Saint Balbina, a Roman Virgin who lived in the 2nd-Century A.D. and whose remains lie under the Altar with those of her father, the Martyr Saint Quirinus. This Church, which stands on a slope of The Aventine, was, in the 5th-Century A.D., one of the twenty-five Parish Churches of Rome. Formerly, it was the house of a Roman Lady, named Balbina, who was Martyred during The Persecution of Emperor Trajan.
The reason for the choice of this Church is explained by the Epistle, which speaks of the widow of Sarephta. Thus, is celebrated, the Faith of one who transformed her residence into a Church.
English: The Basilica of Saint Balbina, Rome.
Italiano: Santa Balbina a Roma
Photo: January 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: Lalupa
(Wikimedia Commons)
Santa Balbina, Rome.
Available on YouTube at
Jesus declares, in the Gospel, that the Jews, who taught The Law of Moses, did not observe it. On the other hand, The Kingdom of God is open to the heathen, who, by Baptism, become Disciples of Christ and do His works.
The Epistle tells of Elias going to a heathen widow woman of Sarephta, to ask for nourishment, when a drought had fallen on impenitent Israel. The widow took two pieces of wood, typical of The Cross of Jesus, and prepared a hearth cake for The Prophet and one for herself. Her compassion was rewarded, for never after did she want for bread. Whereas the Jews suffer from the scarcity, the Gentiles, as a reward for their fidelity, receive daily The Eucharistic Bread, which applies to them the merits gained for them by The Saviour on The Cross.
Let us Pray that God may grant us the Grace of perseverance in the observance of The Fast, of which He has set us an example (Collect).
Mass: Tibi dixit.
Preface: Of Lent.
His Eminence, Péter Erdő,
and former Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Balbinæ
(currently vacant), Rome.
Illustration: CATHOLIC LANE
The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.
Santa Balbina is a Basilica Church in Rome, devoted to Saint Balbina. It was built in the 4th-Century A.D., over the house of Consul Lucius Fabius Cilo, on The Aventine Hill, behind The Baths of Caracalla. Possibly the ancient Titulus Tigridæ, the Basilica was Consecrated by Pope Gregory I.
The adjoining Monastery has a commanding Mediæval Defence Tower. Inside the Basilica, there is a very fine Episcopal Chair, with a Cosmatesque decoration from the 13th-Century. The Church was heavily restored in the 1930s, when frescœs were discovered on the walls from the 9th-Century A.D. to the 14th-Century.
External Ornaments of a Cardinal, who is a Bishop.
Date: 26 May 2011.
Source: Own work, elements by Heralder and Alekjds.
Author: Adelbrecht
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Baroque frescœs in the Apse, and the Triumphal Arch, were painted by Anastasio Fontebuoni in 1599. The Arch is decorated with the figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, while, in the Apse, we can see Saint Balbina between other Martyrs. An ancient Sarcophagus was also discovered during the Restoration. It is now used as a Font.
from 6 November 1915 to 29 November 1918,
and from August 1919 until Mid- to Late-1946.
Magyar: Magyarország 3:2 oldalarányú zászlaja
1915. november 6. és 1918. november 29.,
valamint 1919 augusztusa és 1946 közepe-vége között.
Date: 2 December 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Thommy
(Wikimedia Commons)
There is a strong connection between the Basilica of Santa Balbina, Rome, and Hungary.
In 1270, the first known Hungarian Cardinal, István Váncsa, was buried in the Basilica.
The former Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Balbinæ (currently vacant) was Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom, Hungary.
In 1270, the first known Hungarian Cardinal, István Váncsa, was buried in the Basilica. Another 13th-Century Hungarian Clergyman, Pál, Bishop of Paphos, erected an Altar in the Church for Saint Nicholas. Both the Altar and the Grave disappeared during later Centuries, but a Plaque Commemorates the Offerings of Pál.
The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Balbinae (currently vacant) was Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom. According to Péter Erdő, the Hungarian connections of this Church played a part in Pope Saint John Paul II’s decision when he chose Santa Balbina for Archbishop Erdő’s Titular Church. The Cardinal also recommended Hungarian Pilgrims to visit the Basilica and said he feels a special responsibility for the building. Among the previous Titulars are Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar, and Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros.
Father Simpliciano of The Nativity Founded The Congregation of The Franciscan Sisters of The Sacred Heart, here.
ReplyDeleteA faithful visitor to Rome has kindly sent this Comment, for which Zephyrinus is very grateful.
I am finding this journey through the Stational Churches of Lent very interesting.
Interestingly enough, the Basilica of Santa Balbina which station is for this day appears to have been closed due to its ruinous condition since March of 2023. The Cardinal whose titular church it is, Card Peter Erdo, who is also Primate of Hungary, has transferred his title to Santa Maria Nuova. In 2019, another Roman visitor, corvinus.nl, stated that the church was only open for Sunday Mass at that time.
Anyway, here are my observations and scintillating comments:
Basilica of Santa Balbina
The Basilica of Santa Balbina is easily overlooked (this Roman visitor did), being on a side street, the Viale Guido Baccelli, veering off from the much larger Viale de Terme di Caracalla, and situated almost behind the massive “Terme di Caracalla,” the enormous ruins of the public baths of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (who liked to be called “Caracalla”, or “Cloak” after the Gallic hood he preferred to wear in public).
The basilica is first mentioned in 595 AD under Gregory the Great (d. 604), who may have founded the original Benedictine monastery adjacent to the church, and which later came into the administration of the Augustinians. However the early basilica underwent many revisions and reconstructions, especially ca. 1600 under Card. Pompeo Arrigoni (1551-1616) who either due to the dilapidated state of the basilica, or due to a preference for simplification, that the church was greatly reconstructed, and so not much of the original artwork and architecture (aside from a Cosmatesque “cathedra” or episcopal chair, and some 11th C-14th C frescoes in the side chapels ) survives to this day. Subsequent renovations in the 20th C. were not “sympathetic” to its history.
The rough brick façade, the result of the 16th-century renovation, has three large curved windows and three arches and that is what greets the pilgrim today. The church according to recent visitors has not been in good condition, and in fact the titular cardinal of the church, Card. Peter Erdo of Hungary, transferred his titular church status to the Basilica of Santa Maria Nuova in March, 2023 because of the bad condition of this church. There are no recent reports by visitors to Rome (TripAdvisor, TurismoRoma.it) that the church has been open since then (it also has no current website).
Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, OSB, observes that the Epistle for the Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent (3 Kings 17:8-16) speaks of the Widow of Zarephath, a Gentile, for whom however Elijah performs the miracle of the constantly renewing jar of wheat and of oil during a famine. Dom Lefebvre associates the widow with Santa Balbina, the Roman martyr who converts to the Catholic Faith and gives all for the Kingdom of God; and that may be the lesson intended for the Roman catechumens. The Gradual psalm also intones the same theme: Ps 54:23 Iacta cogitátum tuum in Dómino, et ipse te enútriet. “Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will support you.”
Similarly, we too may be inspired to implore Our Lord during this time of penance just as did the Widow of Zarephath that God will answer our petitions to more closely follow Him on the way to Jerusalem in Lent.