Visiting 7 Churches in Brooklyn on Holy Thursday
I didn’t always participate in the Visitation of the Seven Churches on Holy Thursday. Yet, anyone who I take with me always asks to go the following year. You don’t have to go to the churches that are listed by your church, you can go to any church that is having the Blessed Sacrament reposed (many will do this for 24 hours starting on Holy Thursday).
Why seven churches?
The pilgrimage to each church corresponds to the seven stops that were made by Jesus on his way to Calvary:
- Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 39-46)
- 2nd Visit: Jesus bound and taken before Annas (John 18: 19-22)
- 3rd Visit: Jesus taken before the High Priest, Joseph Caiaphas (Matthew 26: 63-65)
- 4th Visit: Jesus taken before Pontius Pilate (John 18,35-37)
- 5th Visit: Jesus taken before Herod Antipas (Luke 23: 8-9; 11)
- 6th Visit: Jesus taken before Pontius Pilate again (Matthew 27: 22-26)
- 7th Visit: Jesus given the crown of thorns and led to his crucifixion (Matthew 27: 27-31)
When does it happen?
After mass on Holy Thursday, people go and visit seven churches.
Who goes to visit seven churches?
Anyone who wants to do something special during Lent. Families, friends, individuals and just people who want to be more spiritual take the mini pilgrimage. Many people see old friends who they haven’t seen all year. Many children are brought so they can learn about this tradition. Often the kids are bored, but often the family encourages them along because there is a treat for them at the end. Many bring a phone and play quietly as the stations of the cross are a bit too much for them to understand.
What do you do at each church?
When you are with a group, the group visits the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is displayed. Then someone in the group reads the two stations and people pray together and sometimes privately as well. Most people kneel (even many senior citizens) as the Blessed Sacrament is displayed.
If it is a group from a particular church, the large crucifix from the church is carried. It is an honor to carry the crucifix and many people want to do it, but don’t do it if you aren’t strong enough because it is heavy.
At the last church, there are usually more prayers and the people stay a longer time to close out the pilgrimage. Sometimes the last church visited is your home church, but not always.
When you are with a group, it is pretty fast-paced as you have to get back to the bus and get to the next church. Stories are exchanged on the bus and Brooklyn people are notorious for funny, strange and sometimes mafia type stories, especially if there are a lot of nonnas (Italian grandmothers) on the bus.
What do you do after the visitation?
Sometimes groups go to someone’s home and have snacks or they go our to a diner together. Sometimes people didn’t have time to eat dinner before because they are coming from work.
The following day, Good Friday, Catholics abstain and fast.
Hugs,
marlene
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