Holy Thursday Prayer and Pilgrimage

This Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024, Bishop Lohse is inviting all the Faithful to participate
in an age-old custom of prayer and adoration. The custom is commonly called, The Seven
Churches Visitation; however, the intended goal is to meditate on the seven movements of Jesus
while visiting various altars of repose. This prayerful practice may be done individually or with
a group of family or friends. The number of churches visited is not as important as the emphasis
on prayer and devotion time.

The tradition can be traced to St. Philip Neri in the 1500’s who is said to have started with visiting the seven basilicas in Rome.  On this night, after the conclusion of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist is processed to an altar of repose in every church for visitation and adoration on the night of His passion.  St. Philip and those that followed in this tradition would process from church to church to “remain” with Jesus commemorating the beginning of his passion.  A meditation of the journey of Jesus is done at each of the Churches.  The seven movements of Jesus are remembered: 

1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:39-46)
2. Jesus before Annas (Jn 18:19-22)
3. Jesus before Caiaphas (Mt 26:63-65)
4. Jesus before Pilate (Jn 18:35-37)
5. Jesus before Herod (Lk 23:8-9,11)
6. Jesus before Pilate again (Mt 27:22-26)
7. Jesus’ crucifixion and death (Mt 27:27-31)

This tradition spread throughout the world as immigration spread.  It was brought to the Americas by Italian and Polish immigrants and is still practiced in larger cities.  As this practice came to the Americas and was practiced here it was adapted to visit multiple churches, not specifically seven, especially in an area where churches are more georgraphically distanced from one another.  In this regard, you can map your course to visit seven churches or you can complete multiple meditations at one church.

This Holy Thursday take some time to visit Jesus throughout the Diocese of Kalamazoo.