Praying With The Saints
In Rome
A Guide For Finding And Praying With The Saints
Throughout The Liturgical Year
In Rome.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
November
November 1st
Solemnity of All Saints
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
(Our Lady Above Minerva)
Piazza della Minerva 42
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Pantheon.
*The Altieri Chapel located to the right of the main sanctuary has the unique status of being dedicated to all the saints.
*Also the body of St Catherine of Siena (d. 1380) rests under the main altar.
November 2nd
Optional memorial of All Souls
November 3rd
Optional memorial of Martin de Porres, religious
St Martin de Porres (d. 1639, Lima, Peru) (Relics: Lima, Peru)
Santissima Trinita dei Spagnoli
(The Most Holy Trinity of the Spanish)
Via dei Condotti 41
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps.
*A small statue of St Martin de Porres is in the first chapel on the right side of the nave.
November 4th
Memorial of Charles Borromeo, bishop
St Charles Borromeo (d. 1584, Milan, Italy) (Relics: Rome, Italy; Milan, Italy)
San Carlo al Corso
(Saint Charles at the Corso)
Via del Corso 437
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps.
*The dedication of this church is to the great 16th century Archbishop of Milan, St Charles Borromeo. A relic of his heart rests within a reliquary in an altar located behind the main sanctuary.
San Carlo ai Catinari
(Saint Charles at the Catinari)
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli 117
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Largo di Torre Argentina. It is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo.
*The painting above the main altar depicts St Charles Borromeo leading a procession of the faithful.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
(Saint Charles at the Four Fountains)
Via del Quirinale 23
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Barberini metro stop. It is a small Baroque church created by Francesco Borromini. It is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo.
Chiesa Nuova
(The New Church)
Via del Governo Vecchio 134
Rome, Italy
*This church is along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The chapel to the right of the main sanctuary is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo.
*The body of St Philip Neri (d. 1595) is also enshrined in the left transept. His private rooms can be visited on certain days of the week. They are located in the right wall of the left transept.
November 9th
Feast of The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran
Basilica of St John Lateran
Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano 4
Rome, Italy
*Positioned above the Papal Altar of this church are two busts of St Peter and St Paul. According to tradition the skulls or parts of the skulls of St Peter and St Paul are within these busts. Also located within the Papal Altar is a wooden table that St Peter and many of the earliest popes are said to have celebrated the Eucharist upon.
*Located to the left of the Papal Altar is another very ancient table. This table rests above the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. It is placed directly behind a bronze relief of the Last Supper. Tradition claims that it was upon this table that Jesus and the apostles celebrated the Last Supper.
November 10th
Memorial of Leo the Great, pope and doctor
St Leo the Great (d. 461, Rome, Italy) (Relics: Rome, Italy)
St Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
Altar of St Leo the Great
*Located in the far left corner of the left transept.
*The remains of St Leo the Great rest under this altar.
*St Leo was known both for his exemplar defense of orthodox theology and for his efforts in halting the advance of the Barbarian tribes. A marble relief of his important meeting with Attila the Hun is placed above this altar.
November 11th
Memorial of Martin of Tours, bishop
St Martin of Tours (d. 397, Candes-Saint-Martin, France) (Relics: Tours, France)
San Martino ai Monti
(Saint Martin at the Hills)
Viale Monte Oppio 28
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Basilica of St Mary Major.
*The third chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to St Martin of Tours. A painting above this altar depicts him giving his cloak to a beggar.
*The greater part of the remains of St Martin I (d. 655) were transferred from Crimea to this church in Rome. They now rest in the confessio below the main altar. This confessio also houses the relics of many other saints taken from the Catacombs of Priscilla.
San Rocco
(Saint Roch)
Largo San Rocco 1
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Tiber River just west of the Spanish Steps.
*The chapel in the left transept is dedicated to St Martin of Tours. The painting in this chapel depicts him dividing his cloak with a beggar.
November 12th
Memorial of Josaphat, bishop and martyr
St Josaphat (d. 1623, Vitebsk, Russia) (Relics: Rome, Italy)
St Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
Altar of St Basil
*Located within the confessional area on the back side of the first column.
*The remains of St Josaphat rest below this altar. During the early part of the 17th century he valiantly tried to bring Christians within the Polish-Lithuanian Kingdom of Eastern Europe into full communion with Church of Rome. As a result of his efforts he suffered martyrdom in 1623.
November 13th
Memorial of Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin*
St Frances Xavier Cabrini (d. 1917, Chicago, Illinois, USA) (Relics: New York City, New York, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Rome, Italy; Codogno, Italy; Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy)
Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore e Santa Francesca Cabrini
(Church of the Most Holy Redeemer and Saint Frances Cabrini)
Via Sicilia 215
Rome, Italy
*This church is north of Piazza della Repubblica.
*The head of St Frances Xavier Cabrini rests within this church. It is placed within a statue of her likeness that reposes within an urn on the right side of the nave.
November 15th
Optional memorial of Albert the Great, bishop and doctor
St Albert the Great (d. 1280, Cologne, Germany) (Relics: Cologne, Germany)
November 16th
Optional memorial of Gertrude, virgin
St Gertrude (d. 1301, Helfta, Germany)
November 16th
Optional memorial of Margaret of Scotland
St Margaret of Scotland (d. 1093, Scotland) (Relics: Dunfermline, Scotland)
November 17th
Memorial of Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
St Elizabeth of Hungary (d. 1231, Hesse, Germany) (Relics: Vienna, Austria)
Sant’Antonio da Padova
(Saint Anthony of Padua)
Via Merulana 124
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Basilica of St John Lateran.
*The third chapel on the left side of the nave is dedicated to St Elizabeth of Hungary.
November 18th
Optional memorial of The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, apostles
St Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
*Tradition holds that St Peter was crucified upside down in the middle of Nero’s Circus. The Altar of The Crucifixion located in the left transept of St Peter’s Basilica is very close to the actual site where this crucifixion took place.
*The bones of St Peter are in the confessio below the Papal Altar and his jawbone can be seen on the Scavi tour.
*Tradition also holds that within the large bronze chair located above the Altar of the Chair in the apse of the church is a second smaller chair made out of wood. This second chair is said to consist of fragments from the original Episcopal chair that St Peter once sat in.
Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls
Via Ostiense 186
Rome, Italy
*St Paul is buried in the confessio of this church. Above his tomb are the chains that had been used to imprison him prior to his martyrdom. These chains were placed in this prominent location in 2008.
*Also a crucifix that is said to have spoken to St Bridget in 1370 is in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
*Lining the nave are 266 medallions depicting every pope from the last 2000 years.
November 18th
Optional memorial of Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin*
St Rose Philippine Duchesne (d. 1852, St Charles, Missouri, USA) (Relics: St Charles, Missouri, USA)
November 21st
Memorial of The Presentation of The Blessed Virgin Mary
St Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
Presentation Chapel
*This is the second chapel on the left side of the nave. The large mosaic in this chapel depicts the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The original painting that this mosaic replaced hangs within the Roman church Santa Maria degli Angeli.
*The body of St Pius X (d. 1914) also rests under this altar.
Santa Maria in Monticelli
(Our Lady in Monticelli)
28 Via di Santa Maria in Monticelli
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Largo di Torre Argentina.
*The painting in the main sanctuary depicts the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Chiesa Nuova
(The New Church)
Via del Governo Vecchio 134
Rome, Italy
*This church is along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The transept chapel on the left side of the nave is dedicated to the Presentation of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
*The body of St Philip Neri (d. 1595) is also enshrined in the left transept. His private rooms can be visited on certain days of the week. They are located in the right wall of the left transept.
FOR ADDITIONAL MARIAN CHURCHES TO VISIT PLEASE SEE THE LINK AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE.
November 22nd
Memorial of Cecilia, virgin and martyr
St Cecilia (d. Sicily) (Relics: Rome, Italy)
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
(Saint Cecilia in Trastevere)
Piazza di Santa Cecilia 22
Rome, Italy
*This church is located in the southern part of Trastevere. It is built over the ruins of the house that St Cecilia had lived in prior to her martyrdom.
*In 821 the body of St Cecilia was exhumed from the Catacombs of San Callisto by St Paschal I (d. 824) and returned to this church. Today her body rests within the crypt under the main altar.
*The recumbent statue of St Cecilia below the main altar was completed by Stefano Maderno in the late 16th century. A gash on her neck recalls the miraculous events surrounding her martyrdom. Tradition claims that St Cecilia was condemned to execution first by drowning and then by decapitation. Both attempts failed. The second method, however, left her greatly wounded. The executioner struck her neck three times with a sword but being unable to sever her head fled in fear. She survived for three days, offered all she had to the poor, and then expired.
Catacombs of San Callisto
Via Appia Antica 110/126
Rome, Italy
*These catacombs are located south of the Aurelian Walls.
*St Cecilia was originally buried in these catacombs. In 821 her remains were removed and taken to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
*It was at this location in the year 258 that Roman soldiers burst into a chapel and arrested St Sixtus II and four other deacons while they were celebrating the liturgy. St Lawrence (d. 258) was not among this group; however, a legend holds that St Lawrence was able to speak to St Sixtus just before the pope was martyred. In this conversation St Sixtus said to St Lawrence, “You shall follow me in three days.” St Lawrence then in three days went on to suffer his own martyrdom by being burnt alive on a gridiron.
*St Sixtus II (d. 258), St Pontian (d. 235), St Fabian (d. 250), St Cornelius (d. 253), and a number of other early popes were originally buried here within the Papal Crypt. The remains of St Sixtus II were later moved to San Sisto Vecchio, the remains of St Fabian to San Sebastiano Fuori Le Mura, and the remains of St Cornelius to Santa Maria in Trastevere.
San Luigi dei Francesi
(Saint Louis of the French)
Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi 5
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Piazza Navona.
*The second chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to St Cecilia. The altarpiece within this chapel is entitled The Ecstasy of St Cecilia. It was completed by Guido Reni and is a copy of a work done by Raphael. Frescoes completed by Domenichino line the sidewalls and the vault. They depict various scenes from the life of St Cecilia.
San Carlo ai Catinari
(Saint Charles at the Catinari)
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli 117
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Largo di Torre Argentina.
*The third chapel on the right side of the nave, located in the transept arm, is dedicated to St Cecilia.
Sant’Agnese in Agone
(Saint Agnes in Agone)
Piazza Navona
Rome, Italy
*A marble relief to the left of the main sanctuary depicts the death of St Cecilia. It was completed by Antonio Raggi in the 17th century.
*Also a relic of St Agnes’ skull is present in a chapel on the left side of the nave. According to tradition she was martyred here in 304.
November 23rd
Optional memorial of Clement I, pope and martyr
St Clement I (d. 97) (Relics: Rome, Italy)
Legend holds that St Clement I was exiled to the Crimean region of Ukraine. After converting many people in the region it is believed that he was thrown into the sea with an iron anchor attached to his body. Many years later St Cyril is said to have found some bones and an anchor in Crimea. These were believed to be the relics of St Clement I. He then carried these relics to Rome where they were placed in the Basilica of San Clemente.
Basilica di San Clemente
(Basilica of Saint Clement)
Via di San Giovanni in Laterano
Rome, Italy
*This church is east of the Colosseum.
*The remains of St Clement I and of St Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107) are beneath the main altar. On the feast of St Clement I a reliquary bust containing his skull is festively carried in procession through the streets of Rome.
*Also a chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to Saints Cyril (d. 869) and Methodius (d. 885). The extant remains of St Cyril rest within the altar of this chapel.
San Girolamo dei Croati
(Saint Jerome of the Croatians)
Via Tomacelli 132
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Tiber River just west of the Spanish Steps. It is not open often.
*The first chapel on the left side of the nave contains a painting that depicts Saints Cyril and Methodius giving the relics of St Clement I to Pope Adrian II.
November 23rd
Optional memorial of Columban, abbot
St Columban (d. 615, Bobbio, Italy) (Relics: Bobbio, Italy)
November 23rd
Optional memorial of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, priest and martyr*
Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro (d. 1927, Mexico City, Mexico) (Relics: Mexico City, Mexico)
November 24th
Optional memorial of Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and martyr, and Companions, martyrs
More than 100,000 Vietnamese Catholics died for their faith during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. One hundred seventeen of these martyrs were canonized in 1988 and are honored on this day. A further martyr, Blessed Andrew Phú Yên, was beatified in the year 2000. (Relics: Paris, France; Penang, Malaysia)
November 25th
Optional memorial of Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr
St Catherine of Alexandria (d. 305, Alexandria, Egypt) (Relics: Mount Catherine, Egypt)
Basilica di San Clemente
(Basilica of Saint Clement)
Via di San Giovanni in Laterano
Rome, Italy
*This church is east of the Colosseum.
*The chapel located in the back left corner of the nave is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria.
*The remains of St Clement I (d. 97) and of St Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107) rest beneath the main altar.
*Also a chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to Saints Cyril (d. 869) and Methodius (d. 885). The extant remains of St Cyril rest within the altar of this chapel.
Sant'Agostino
(Saint Augustine)
Piazza Sant'Agostino
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Piazza Navona.
*The first chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria.
*Relics of St Monica (d. 387) are in the chapel to the left of the main altar.
Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi
(Saint Anthony of the Portuguese)
Via dei Portoghesi 2
Rome, Italy
*This church is northeast of Piazza Navona.
*The first chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria.
Santissima Trinita dei Spagnoli
(The Most Holy Trinity of the Spanish)
Via dei Condotti 41
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps.
*Three paintings within the second chapel on the right side of the nave depict scenes from the life of St Catherine of Alexandria.
Santa Caterina dei Funari
(Saint Catherine of the Funari)
Via dei Funari
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Jewish quarter and it is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. It is not open often.
*A painting of the martyrdom of St Catherine of Alexandria is placed above the main altar.
Santa Caterina della Rota
(Saint Catherine of the Rota)
Via di San Girolamo della Carità 80
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Piazza Farnese and it is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. It is not open often.
November 30th
Feast of Andrew, apostle
St Andrew (Relics: Amalfi, Italy; Florence, Italy; Patras, Greece; Edinburgh, Scotland; Cologne, Germany; Kiev, Ukraine)
Tradition claims that St Andrew was martyred and buried in Patras, Greece. Later most of his relics were transferred to the city of Constantinople and a small portion to Scotland. The relics in Constantinople were taken by the Crusaders after their violent sacking of the city in 1204 and transferred to the Duomo di Sant'Andrea in Amalfi, Italy. It is from this source that many cities within Europe have received their relics of St Andrew.
Sant'Andrea della Valle
(Saint Andrew of the Valley)
Piazza Vidoni 6 / Piazza Sant'Andrea della Valle
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The large paintings in the sanctuary depict the martyrdom of St Andrew.
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
(Saint Andrew of the Bushes)
Via Sant'Andrea delle Fratte 1
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps. It is dedicated to St Andrew. Within the sanctuary are five large paintings depicting his martyrdom.
*The third altar on the left side of the nave is where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Ratisbonne, an agnostic Jew, in 1842. Ratisbonne converted on the spot. In 1918 St Maximilian Mary Kolbe (d. 1941) offered his first Mass in this very same chapel.
Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
(Saint Andrew at the Quirinale)
Via del Quirinale 29
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Barberini metro stop. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and it is dedicated to St Andrew.
*The remains of St Stanislaus Kostka (d. 1568), a young Jesuit novice who died in Rome at the age of seventeen, rest here. The room in which he died has been converted into a chapel and can be visited by asking the sacristan.
Sant'Andrea a Ponte Milvio
(Saint Andrew at the Milvian Bridge)
Via Flaminia 441
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Milvian Bridge.
*The advancement of the Ottoman Turks into the Byzantine Empire threatened the safety of many Christian relics. Therefore, in 1462 the relic of St Andrew’s skull was brought to Rome for safe keeping. The small church of Sant’Andrea a Ponte Milvio marks the spot where this relic was first received in Rome. This relic remained in Rome at St Peter’s Basilica until its return to Patras, Greece in 1964.
Il Gesu (The Jesus)
Via degli Astalli 16
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The first chapel on the right side of the nave is dedicated to St Andrew.
*St Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556) is buried under the altar in the left transept.
*An arm of St Francis Xavier (d. 1552) also rests within a reliquary above the altar in the right transept.
*Note: The Memorials and Feasts listed above with an asterisk are specific to the National Calendar of the United States of America as requested by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and approved by the Holy See.
