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I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Santa Sebina during my most recent trip to Rome (September 2022). We went to visit a Dominican priest friend of mine who is currently assigned to the worldwide headquarters of the Dominican Order, the Order of Preachers, located at Santa Sabina. He had promised to give us the "nickel tour" but I think we got the twenty-five-cent version. Santa Sebina is privileged to be the first church visited by the Pope during the annual "Lenten Station Churches of Rome" celebration. By tradition, every year on Ash Wednesday, the Pope comes to Santa Sabina and celebrates mass. Santa Sebina is a very historical church first erected around 422 and has been renovated several times. The current Santa Sebina Basicila is thought to have been built over an early Roman house that might have been owned by a Nobel Roman matron who might have been named Sebina. There is some thinking that this person was converted to Christianity by her servant named Seraphia. Some sources connect this person, named Sebina, with a different set of writings describing a woman also named Sebina who was martyred. Writings are mixed if this is one person or two different women. There are no Vatican stamps commemorating a Saint Sebina. 
 ▲ Pictured above is an interior and exterior photo of the Santa Sabina Basicila. The interior is basilican in style, with a nave and two aisles, separated by twenty-four fluted Parian marble columns, joined together by arcades. The roof of Santa Sebina Basicila is made of wood and has a basic functional look. To find a philatelic link to Santa Sebina Basicila we have to look at other places other than the main altar. On the left side of this church, there is a nice side chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380), who was a Dominican tertiary and mystic. She was instrumental in getting the pope to leave Avignon and return to Rone (1377). The pictures below show the main altar of that chapel, and, yes, stamp collectors can find some Vatican stamps with St. Catherine's image. 
 ▲ Saint Catherine Chapel is baroque in style and was originally designed by Giovanni Battista Contini in 1671. The painting over the altar depicts St. Dominic and St. Catherine kneeling at the feet of the Virgin Mary. 
 St. Catherine of Siena Scott 335 & 337 (1962)  600th Anniversary of Pope Gregory Return from Avignon to Rome Scott 614a (1977) Another philatelic link lies with St. Dominic (1170 – 1221, who spent some time at the Santa Sabina Basicila. The room where he stayed has been converted into a small chapel, which is not generally open to the public. Today this chapel is often used for private masses.
 St. Dominic de Guzman 8th Centenary of Birth Scott 509 - 512 (1971) Another famous person with philatelic links to the Santa Sabina Basicila is Pope Pius V (papal years 1566-1572). He would often come to Santa Sabina where he could return to being a Dominican friar. Here, he could quietly pray and meditate, away from the trappings of life at the Vatican. His room has also been turned into a chapel, which is also not generally open to the public. Over the altar of this chapel hangs a picture of Pope Pius V, shown with his Holy Crucifix, which he was known for venerating. The only Vatican stamp issued for Pope Pius V has been for the commemoration of his birth. 
 ▲ St. Pius V Chapel 
 5th Centenary of Birth Of St. Pius V Scott 1258 & 1259 (2004) There is a subtlety about this church relating to why, of all of the churches in or near Rome, Santa Sabina has been chosen to be the first visited during the annual "Lenten Station Churches of Rome" celebrations. There is no stamp link for this reasoning and it is not mentioned in most guidebooks. It can also be easily missed by visitors who come to Santa Sabina by car or bus. It has to do with the fact that Santa Sabina is located up on Aventine Hill. However, why this church was chosen for the start of Lent is not exactly known. However, one thought is that because of its location, one had to make a strong climb uphill to reach the church, this climb was symbolic of the efforts necessary to climb to spiritual perfection. However, as a result of being on Aventine Hill, visitors do get some nice views of Romel!  ▲ Even in the rain, the views are nice from Aventine Hill! References • Joseph N. Tylenda, S. J, "S. Sebina" The Pilgrim's Guide To Rome'sPrincipal Churches The Liturgical Press, Copyright 1993, pages 304-309 • Frank J. Korn, "The Curches Of The Aventine" A Catholic's Guide To Rome Paulist Press, Copyright 2000, page 95 • Robin Anderson, "Last Days And Death" Saithingnt Pius V TAN Books and Publishers, Copyright 1989 (Kindel Version) • George Weigel, "Ash Wednesday - Station At St. Sabina" Roman Pilgrimage - The Station Churches Basic Books, Copyright 2013, pages 29-33 • Rita Mantone "Santa Sabina" Rome's Original Tituli: A Pilgrim's Guide To The Eternal City's House ChurchesClick-it Write Books, Copyright 2016 (Kindel Version) Photographs of Santa Sabina and the chapels shown on this webpage are from the collection Marvin Lanahan |
