Before long I had tears in my eyes—and not from the uneven grooves worn into the wood by pilgrims’ knees. Something about the physical discomfort helped me to focus on the much greater pain Jesus had felt on those same stairs.

The second of Rome’s station churches is dedicated to a soldier-saint, George of Lydda. Soldier-martyrs seem to have left a particular mark on the memory of Roman Christians.

If all the church’s worship should be thought of as a journey, Lent involves achieving platinum frequent flyer status.

Lessons from a Jesuit road trip to Illinois.