Santa Maria in Campitelli: an old Roman church with strong British connections

Santa Maria in Campitelli in the eighteenth century

The Venerable English College community recently took a break from examination revision to celebrate with Walsall-born Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald as he took possession of his church in Rome. Many students served at the special liturgies and a festal meal was held at the College on 3 February 2020, which also happened to be the fifty-ninth anniversary of Cardinal Fitzgerald’s priestly ordination.  

In October 2019 Archbishop Fitzgerald, a retired missionary and diplomat, with long experience in Christian-Islam relations, was created cardinal deacon of Santa Maria in Portico, often known as Santa Maria in Campitelli. Every cardinal is presented with a church in the Eternal City, a reminder that originally the cardinals were the clergy of Rome. This is reflected in the three ‘grades’ of the Sacred College: cardinal bishops were the bishops of the dioceses surrounding Rome; cardinal priests were the parish priests, each with their own titulus or church; and cardinal deacons were those who had responsibility over the seven regions of the city on behalf of the pope, with each of them assigned a church as their diaconia.

Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, M. Afr.

The new English cardinal’s diaconia is a delightful church, situated near the Tiber and a short walk away from the Piazza Venezia. Like so many Roman churches, the baroque edifice hides a much more ancient foundation. At the church’s heart is a small icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, just 25 centimetres high. Tradition connects it to a sixth-century Roman widow, St Galla (died c. 550), who founded a hospital nearby for the sick and poor. Though she may now be little-known, St Galla was sufficiently important in the seventeenth century to have been included among the statues on the colonnade in St Peter’s Square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680).

The image of Mary was originally housed in a church known as ‘S. Maria in Portico’, since it was near the Porticus Octaviae: the icon was much venerated by locals and known as the Romanae Portus Securitatis (‘Gate of Roman Safety’). It proved particularly popular in moments of disease and contagion. It is said to have been one of the images carried through Rome during pestilence in the pontificate of St Gregory the Great (540–604). It was brought out during many other crises, including the plague of 1656. The epidemic stopped soon afterwards, thanks, it was believed, to Mary’s intercession.

The icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Santa Maria in Campitelli

As a result, Pope Alexander VII (1599–1667) supported moves to build a more ornate church to house the much-loved image. He transferred the icon, along with the community of religious who had looked after the church since 1601, to Santa Maria in Campitelli, a short distance away. The location was thought to be ‘the most convenient in that neighbourhood and having a spacious piazza in front enveloped by decorous palaces.’ It was rebuilt by Carlo Rainaldi (1611–1691) and completed in 1667. The magnificent church is served by the Congregation of the Mother of God and the remains of their founder, St John Leonardi (1541–1609), can be found in a side chapel.

Cardinal Fitzgerald is not the first British cardinal to have had the church as his diaconia: his predecessors include Charles Erskine (1739–1811), a distinguished papal diplomat of Scottish descent, and Francis Aidan Gasquet (1846–1929), the Downside monk and historian, and cardinal protector of the Venerable English College (1915–1929). Indeed, the College community was present when he took possession of the church on Boxing Day 1915.

Cardinal Charles Erskine (1739–1811)

Cardinal Francis Aidan Gasquet (1846–1929)

Perhaps most intriguing, though, is Henry Benedict Stuart (1725–1807), the younger brother of ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ (1720–1788), who was presented the church in 1747.

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart (1725–1807)

Both the cardinal and his father, James Francis Edward Stuart (1688–1766), ‘the Old Pretender’, were generous to the church, the latter establishing ‘a perpetual intercession for the conversion of England.’ A Mass was celebrated every Saturday for this intention, followed by Benediction and other prayers. The exiled royals attended whenever possible and the tradition continued; indeed, in December 1898 the church organised a Solemn Triduum in which the students of the Venerable English College participated.

The tradition of praying for England at Santa Maria in Campitelli, which continues down to the present day, reminds us that the Venerable English College is not the only place in the Eternal City to have a close association with our country.