The tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday, known as the Seven Churches Visitation, is deeply rooted in Catholic history and devotion.This practice is believed to have originated in Rome, where early pilgrims would visit the city's seven major basilicas as a form of penance and spiritual reflection.

The Seven Churches Visitation (or Pilgrimage) is credited as beginning in Rome with St. Philip Neri in the 1500s. Neri would lead groups of faithful to visit each of the seven basilicas of Rome on Holy Thursday night as a way of keeping watch with Christ as though at the Garden of Gethsemane before his passion. 

The number seven holds particular significance in this tradition. It is thought to represent the seven final places Jesus visited from His arrest to His crucifixion, allowing the faithful to meditate on His Passion:

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’s crucifixion and death (Mt 27:27-31)

By visiting seven churches, devotees engage in a spiritual journey that mirrors Christ's own path to Calvary, fostering a deeper connection to the events commemorated during Holy Week.

Please enjoy this photo essay of the 7 altars visited on Holy Thursday in Rome.