Why do maronites visit 7 churches

The choice of seven or 14 as the number of churches to visit was described by many devotees as a reference to the Seven Last Words of Jesus or the Seven Holy Wounds of Jesus. Some choose to visit 14 churches to match the 14 Station of the Cross, and a few try to cover even more churches. Many believe that their prayers will be granted after the stations are complete.

There is no fixed set of prayers for this devotion. Some devotees pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament or say the Rosary, while others offer personal prayers and meditation on the Passion, or pray in front of successive Stations of the Cross in each church. Most people make a small gift for the poor at each church. Holy Thursday and Good Friday liturgies also take place in the churches, accommodating as many worshippers as possible. The conference has introduced a website, Visita Iglesia Online , to afford overseas Filipino and the infirm the opportunity to participate in the tradition and hear recordings of the Pasyon , the Passion.

Skip to main content. The church is home to a famous image of the Black Nazarene, Jesus carrying the Cross. Photo by Arnulfo Valderama Fortunado. It then morphed into a form of pilgrimage and meditation for the Holy Week, and also a form of seeking penance for sins. Superstition even has it that wishes would be granted upon completion of a Visita Iglesia. Stations of the Cross may also be held during church visits.

Devotees either visit 14 churches for each of the 14 Stations of the Cross, or pray two stations in each of the 7 churches. There are several theories on the origins of the church visit practice. Among them is of early Christian communities of the Roman Empire commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus in 7 parts.

When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Theodosius I, the practice evolved to its current form of visiting 7 churches. There were 7 major basilicas founded in Rome which were believed to hold the tombs of prominent martyrs like St. Peter and St. A pilgrimage to all 7 basilicas then developed among the faithful.

Click here for the story on Tenebrae. The seven stations consist of: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Luke , Jesus bound and taken before Annas John , Jesus taken before the High Priest, Caiaphas Matthew , Jesus taken before Pilate John 18, , Jesus taken before Herod Luke ; 11 , Jesus taken before Pilate again Matthew and Jesus given the crown of thorns and led to his crucifixion Matthew Upon entering each church, pilgrims visit the altar of repose, kneel, make the sign of the cross, read the appropriate scripture for each station and engage in private prayer and adoration.

Some may add other prayers as well. At the seventh station, many will close their pilgrimage by opting to observe a Holy Hour. The origin of the Seven Churches Visitation is typically credited to St.

The devotion can also be traced back to the Station Churches of Rome, where the tradition is still practiced.