Roman Pilgrimage

October 14, 2013
A pilgrimage is an important practice in many religious traditions. Weigel, popular Catholic author (The Courage to be Catholic) and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, traces an ancient Christian pilgrimage traditionally undertaken during the liturgical season of Lent. The fourth century practice of visiting the tombs of Christian martyrs evolved into a journey to churches built near martyrs’ tombs. Gorgeous photographs by Stephen Weigel—of churches, basilicas, and cathedrals—accompany in-depth historical accounts and fascinating insights from Lev into the role these edifices play in the life of the larger Catholic Church. Each chapter begins with the day’s Scripture readings and a brief exegesis, along with practical advice on living one’s faith in a more authentic way. These reflections bring the traditional Lenten ascetic practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving into a contemporary context. This valuable companion for the Lenten journey works best slowly digested through the liturgical season, concluding with Easter, the most holy day in Christianity. Agent: Loretta Barrett, Loretta Barrett Books.

October 15, 2013
Lent in Rome, one church at a time. Noted scholar of Catholicism Weigel (Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st Century Church, 2013, etc.) ambitiously shares the Lenten practice of visiting various churches in Rome each day during the season leading up to Easter (as well as Easter Week). Aided by Lev and photographer Weigel, the author presents a comprehensive, visually appealing work. Weigel's Lenten tour of Rome acts as part travelogue and part theological primer, and he introduces readers to some of Rome's most splendid and historically significant places of worship. A key to appreciating Weigel's book, however, is to see it in the way he presents it: as a story of pilgrimage. Just as early Christians first visited the tombs of martyrs throughout Rome, modern-day Christians replicate their path by visiting the shrines, churches and cathedrals that rose up from those original tombs. Weigel is keen to share the power and importance of pilgrimage as a practice and as a concept. Each chapter--representing a day of the Lenten/Easter calendar--includes readings for the day, photos of the site, a historical sidebar and discussion of the church's wider theological importance. Weigel does an admirable job of weaving story and history into each chapter, introducing readers to characters long since forgotten to most. All the while, the author clearly describes the architectural importance of each site. Though non-Catholics may find this expansive and rich study a difficult introduction to the Catholic view of Lent, many Catholics will find it both interesting and inviting. The grandeur of Catholic Rome is clearly on display here, albeit tied to a humbler past that suffered from the brutality of others yet still endured. Engrossing, expansive pictorial study on a renewed Lenten discipline at the heart of Roman Catholicism.

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September 15, 2013

The Christian practice of pilgrimages to the tombs of the martyrs was the basis for the development of the station churches in Rome, to which people would travel during Lent, the period of preparation for the celebration of Jesus's resurrection at Easter. George Weigel (distinguished senior fellow, Ethics & Public Policy Ctr.; Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II) offers a reflection for each day of the season, based on the Scripture readings of the Mass for that day, the readings (both scriptural and from early church writings) assigned for the Office of Readings (one of the prayer periods universally celebrated by Catholic religious and often by laypeople), and the life and death of the martyr commemorated at that church. The readings are just noted, so one would need a Bible or missal and a breviary to access the readings themselves. While no replacement for an actual pilgrimage, Weigel's reflections allow one to enter into the spirit of the Lenten experience of conversion. The descriptions of the architecture and artistic decoration of each church by Lev (art history, Pontifical Univ. of St. Thomas Aquinas) and the photographs by Stephen Weigel enhance the text. VERDICT Although heavily Catholic in tone, the book will appeal to any Christian seeking to experience somewhat the pilgrimage that many have followed to prepare themselves to celebrate Easter.--Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

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November 15, 2013
Rome's station churches date from the early Christian era, with architectural and traditional elaborations added to many in the Renaissance and major repairs made as recently as the past decade. Their visitation by believers during Lent follows a specific order, with aspects of the faith related to each edifice. Weigel, a Vatican analyst for NBC news, presents a readily accessible overview of how these stational churches correlate to and support Roman Catholic Lenten practice and affirmations while at the same time providing an attractive meditative tour for any visitor. Art historian Elizabeth Lev uses Weigel's color photos to discuss architectural details along with the buildings' history. This is a unique guide book, referencing not only theology but the history of Western art, modern and post modern literature, urban history, and church history. Valuable to believers, scholars, students, armchair travelers, and those planning pilgrimages following Phil Cousineau's guides.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)