The practice of early Roman Christians of visiting the tombs of the martyrs became the Lenten “statio” of processing and gathering at a different church each day. This gives us the name “Stational church”

— Feria II post Dominicam Secundam — Statio ad S. Clementem —

The Basilica of Saint Clement is a minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) the present basilica built just before the year 1100 during the height of the Middle Ages; (2) beneath the present basilica is a 4th-century basilica that had been converted out of the home of a Roman nobleman, part of which had in the 1st century briefly served as an early church, and the basement of which had in the 2nd century briefly served as a mithraeum (for the famous cult of Mithras in Rome — a cult of Roman soldiers); (3) the home of the Roman nobleman had been built on the foundations of republican era villa and warehouse that had been destroyed in the great fire (of Nero) of 64 AD.

Some photos from last year’s procession: