♰ Feast of the Holy Lance and Nails of Our Lord ♰

Relics at Santa Croce and a Guide to Praying the Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds

Feb 27, 2026

♰ Feast of the Holy Lance and Nails of Our Lord ♰

This feast, observed on the Friday after the First Sunday of Lent, was instituted by Pope Innocent VI in 1353. On this day, we honor the instruments of the Passion of Our Lord.

See Video Below: “The Crucifixion Relics housed at the Basilica of The Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme) Rome, Italy.

It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, historically significant for its association with the relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ.

According to Christian tradition, the basilica was consecrated around 325 AD to house relics brought to Rome by Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I, after her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. These include fragments of the True Cross, parts of the Crown of Thorns, a nail from the Crucifixion, and the inscribed tablet (INRI). The basilica’s name, “in Gerusalemme” (in Jerusalem), derives from the soil said to have been brought from Jerusalem and used to cover its floor, symbolically linking it to the Holy City.

The original structure was built on the site of the Sessorium, an imperial residence begun by Emperor Septimius Severus and completed by Elagabalus in the 3rd century. The church underwent major renovations in the 12th century under Pope Lucius II, who added a bell tower, and again in the 18th century under Pope Benedict XIV, when architects Pietro Passalacqua and Domenico Gregorini redesigned the façade and atrium in a Baroque style.

The Cappella delle Reliquie (Chapel of the Relics), designed by Florestano Di Fausto in 1930, houses the most revered relics, including a fragment of the True Cross and a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. The chapel also contains a mosaic of Melozzo da Forlì in the vault, depicting Christ Blessing and scenes from the Passion.

The basilica was once the conventual church of a Cistercian abbey, which was dissolved in 2011. Today, it is directly administered by the Diocese of Rome.”

Text and video from Beauty of the Catholic Faith (@advoluntas) on X. https://x.com/advoluntas/status/2027275349805920767?s=20

This is the perfect feast for praying the Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds!

Click Here for a Guide to Pray the Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds

May Christ continue to guide you in your Lenten journey,

Catholic Parents OnLine