Aggie and I recently had the privilege of visiting the Pontificio Santuario della Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) during a recent pilgrimage to Rome.
The Holy Stairs, also known as the Scala Sancta in Latin, is a set of 28 marble steps located near the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome. These steps are believed to have been part of the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem and Our Lord was said to have climbed the stairs during His Passion (Mark 15:16; John 18:28). The stairs were brought to Rome by Saint Helena, mother of emperor Constantine.
The stairs themselves are now covered in wood with a few small glass windows embedded into them allowing pilgrims to see what is purportedly the blood stains of Our Lord.
A pious tradition arose among pilgrims of climbing the stairs on one’s knees, while praying one prayer per step. Aggie and I did this, and we both found it very moving – similar to praying the Stations of the Cross. Here are the 28 prayers often prayed by pilgrims, one prayer per step, which could also be used in private devotion anywhere:
At the top of the stairs is a small chapel, the Chapel of San Lorenzo in Palatio (also called the Sancta Sanctorum), which was the private chapel of many popes during the time that they lived in that section of Rome. The chapel contains many relics, including a mysterious portrait of Our Lord called the “Acheropita” (not painted by human hands).
