Q: Why do people visit seven churches on Holy Thursday?
A: The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."
Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.
- Source: The Catholic Herald
That would certainly explain why two idiots walked to the Catholic Spirituality Centre adoration room after midnight that day this year only to find a man locking up who said to them, "Today Good Friday already. No more Jesus. Adore what?"
Filed under: Adventures, Eucharist, General, Prayer
Is it okay if we do the visita iglesia on Good Friday?
Usually when people talk about Jesus’ last words, they actually refer to the phrases that He uttered before his death, there are 7 of them on which we are called to meditate upon:
1) Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.
2) This day you shall be with me in paradise
3) Woman, behold your son
4) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
5) I thirst
6) It is finished
7) Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Now that’s something I never realized before… Thanks for sharing!
God bless,
Catholic Writer
[...] literally hundreds of hits on this blog in recent days because when people Google for “Visita Iglesia“, which is the custom of visiting churches on Maundy Thursday, Catholic Writings shows up as [...]
[...] But I don’t go to Simbang Gabi. I don’t pray the rosary. I don’t do the Visita Iglesia, nor the Stations or the Way of the Cross. And I’m sorry if I offend any devout Catholics [...]
I think what Ryan said captured the essence of Visita Iglesia. Thanks!
Thanks bex!
Yes Catholic Writer… this site appears when “googling” visita iglesia…
As for pilgrim’s comments… again, let me reiterate that the traditional Visita Iglesia is not intended to do or pray your Stations of the Cross. But personally, since I’m busy with work before the lenten break, I do my Stations with my Visitas, so I pray 2 Stations per church (7 churches only!) after I pray my adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
In the Philippines, most people equate Visita Iglesia as a visit to churches and do the 14 stations, thus 14 churches… nothing wrong there…. good practice and best time for family prayers & bonding!!!
I’m very happy that many people are doing church visits these days as I experienced last Holy Thursday… I completed my 7 church visit exactly before 12mn!!! I went around Pasig, Makati and Baclaran this year. Before, I used to go to Manila area, Sta. Ana/San Juan and Mandaluyong. Next year I plan to visit Quezon City Churches
Can we do visita iglesia even if it is not Lenten or Holy Week time? Our main goal here is instead attending mass on our neighboring or respective church every Sunday but we intend to visit or attend mass to other churches for nine consecutive Sundays with a mission to pray for world peace, our holy father, the government, the hopeless, the sick and the needy, spiritual conversion and growth, personal and family intentions and to strengthen our youth community.
many says that when you participate with visita iglesia day you’ll be bless by double of what you want
well my fellow Legionaries and some friends had visited 10 churches….St. Clare of Montefalco and St. Rose of Lima in Pasig,
St. Francis of Asisi, St. John del Monte, St. Philip Neri in Mandaluyong,
Our Lady of the Abandon, Paco church, St. Augustine, the Manila Cathedral and the culmination point is the Minor Basilica of The Black Nazarene….
10 Churches….but actually were targetting 14, maybe next year will set off early… but our spiritual directress ( a nun) told us that there is no definite number to attain… what is important is the true heart and devotion and adoration
im very glad that many participates in this event… all walks of life….
Dear bro.abet_LOM,
Your spiritual directress is right. It is not so much the number that is important, but the heart and devotion and adoration of Christ.
God bless,
Catholic Writer