Take a holy walk

The 16th-century Italian priest Saint Philip Neri liked to organize a walk through Rome with a few of his friends and acquaintances, visiting churches along the journey. It was a nice way to combine friendly conversation and a shared religious activity. The churches they visited—St. Peter's Basilica, St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, St. Sebastian's, St. John Lateran, Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, St. Lawrence-Outside-the Walls, and the Basilica of St. Mary Major—became known as the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the walk is now repeated annually on Wednesday of Holy Week. Seek out holy places wherever you live—they can be a refuge in difficult times. MEMORIAL OF THE DEDICATION OF THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY MAJOR