An International Community of Believers in the heart of historic Rome

In October 2000, the Oratory of St. Francis Xavier del Caravita, in the center of Rome, reopened its doors as a regular place of worship for the first time since 1925.

Caravita, built in the 1630s, was named after the Jesuit responsible for its construction. It housed nine congregations of laypeople who served Rome's homeless, sick, and imprisoned and then returned to the oratory to pray and to receive spiritual direction from Jesuits at the Roman College, just across the street.

Monasteries and convents of monks and nuns were in the countryside; Ignatius and the early Jesuits were in the heart of the city, where alongside elegant palazzi of Rome's nobility, there was suffering and need. It was here that Ignatius developed a strategic program for Jesuit ministries: hearing confessions, preaching, and teaching, of course, but also caring for the poor and victims of the plague and also steering prostitutes into houses of reformation, for instance.

Caravita was built between 1618 and 1633 on the site of an existing church, San Nicola de Forbitoribus. The oratory was named after the Jesuit, Pietro Gravita, who was responsible for its construction. It was completely rebuilt, between 1670 and 1677, by Giovanni Antonio de’ Rossi. The beautiful interior of Caravita is an ideal example of Roman Jesuit architecture. One may view the sacred image of “MaterPietatis,” a fresco attributed to Baldassare Peruzzi, which came from the primitive church of San Rocco all’Augusteo. This masterpiece was donated to the oratory in 1670. It was placed in the apse and crowned by Capitolo Vaticano, in 1677.

Caravita is a treasure trove of art; 17th century frescoes in the vault of the atrium were executed by various artists on a design by Lazaro Baldi while the main altarpiece is by Sebastiano Conca(18th Century) with the Trinity and St. Francis Saverio:, to whom the oratory is dedicated. Of particular beauty are the pews along the walls which are sculpted walnut and date back to the 17th century.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a mere teenager when he preformed at Caravita, in 1770, captivating the royal court of Rome. This prodigious composer was captivated by Caravita, as well. In Rome, Mozart heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere but once in performance, in the Sistine chapel, then wrote it out in its entirety from memory, thus producing the first illegal copy of this closely guarded property of the Vatican.

A visitor recently stated that she could almost hear Mozart’s Adagio Opus 21 rafting through this historic oratory.

So almost 400 years later, when the Roman College (now the Gregorian University) celebrated its 450th anniversary, Jesuit professors there wanted Caravita reactivated as a center of lay formation and ministry.

One part of the plan was already in place: the basement, former home for several of those early lay congregations, was being used by the Jesuit Refugee Service. As to the oratory itself, used for art exhibits, concerts, and meetings but only the occasional liturgy since 1925, the idea of a mass in English for tourists and pilgrims came up.

But "Sundays at Caravita" was going to be more than just another mass in English; the focus would be on returning to that Ignatian vision embodied in the spirit of Caravita. Lay ministry would be an important component of the project. We wanted pilgrims, strangers, and regulars alike to take part in a participative liturgy that reflects a faith that does justice.

The worship space is inviting. At the entrance is a bowl of baptismal water, a table with candles, bread, and wine, and a basket for offerings (there is no formal collection). People pick up a hymnal, sign the guest book, and take one of the 75 seats in an oval around the altar. Two Jesuits, a Viatorian, and a Canadian diocesan priest share the rotation of presiding over a diverse congregation.

On any Sunday you can find British and Pakistanis, Ethiopians and Belgians, Slovakians and Australians, French, Brazilians, Americans and Italians, all worshiping together. There is a group of regulars, but many worshippers are transienting Rome for a few days or a week.

And Caravita draws its share of seekers. Recently, a visitor in his 30s spoke after mass, his first time in church in more than fifteen years, long enough, he said, to have forgotten that forgiveness was even possible. Visiting Rome on business, he attended a concert at Caravita the previous evening, saw the announcement for our English mass, and returned the following morning but with great trepidation. The liturgy was a Catholic mass as he had remembered. But something happened during the Eucharist. He felt embraced and forgiven. People offered prayers for Muslims during Ramadan, for those living in exile, for those estranged from their families. He told me that the liturgy had brought him back into the circle. Such visitors bring their own grace; the community is richer for their presence.

Visiting Rome? Come to Via del Caravita 7, between Via del Corso and the Church of St. Ignatius at 11:00 any Sunday morning, and then join us for an aperitivo in the atrium of our historic and welcoming place. Arrivederci!