The College's history traces the practice to the late second or early third century, with a fairly fixed calendar by the late fifth and the present order essentially settled by the time of the Council of Trent. It was a way of uniting the city's Christians and of praying at the tombs of the martyrs, and Rome is the only city where a stational liturgy continues in a regular form. The traditional list names Santa Croce in Gerusalemme for Good Friday and St. Mary Major for Easter Sunday.
Good to know before you go: all are invited, so pilgrims simply go to that day's church. In 2026 the Mass was early each morning, with Ash Wednesday earliest of all at Santa Sabina on the Aventine, and one Saturday Mass slightly later. The College does not celebrate its station Mass on Sundays or during the Triduum, when pilgrims attend the liturgy in a parish or with the Pope. A church is sometimes replaced when the traditional one is unavailable, so use the current year's list, which the College posts on its station churches page. The churches are spread across the city and the Mass is early, so work out the route the evening before. In 2027 Ash Wednesday is February 10. Checked on the College's website on October 10, 2026.