The Scala Santa Devotion

The Scala Santa, or "Holy Stairway", is the staircase Jesus ascended during His Passion on His way to Pilate's pretorium. This staircase, still existing today, has been sanctified by the Savior's footsteps and is revered in Rome at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. In the last century, various places within the Catholic Church started to construct staircases akin to the Scala Santa in Rome. The first replica in America was established in 1891 at Sainte Anne de Beaupré in Québec, Canada, located 26 miles east of Québec City. Like its Roman counterpart, this staircase consists of 29 steps and is situated indoors, beginning on the second floor. Indulgences were granted by Pope Leo XIII on November 13, 1893, allowing the faithful to earn a plenary indulgence of three hundred days for each step ascended on their knees with a contrite heart while contemplating the Passion of Our Lord. This indulgence applies to the souls in Purgatory. While there isn't a mandated prayer for this devotion, a set of brief prayers for each of the 28 steps is provided for the convenience of pilgrims. These prayers, written and published in Rome for pilgrims to the original Scala Santa, are deserving of reverence. Preparatory Prayer (Note: This prayer is an introduction to the Sacred Stairs, not part of the original devotion.) O merciful Jesus! For the salvation of humanity, You accepted the suffering of scourging and crowning with thorns; You allowed Yourself to be dragged by unholy hands upon these stairs to be led before Pilate. I wish to honor with deep respect the blood-stained traces of Your divine feet, and I humbly plead with You, by the merits of Your Passion, to grant me the grace to one day ascend to the Throne of Glory, where You reign forever along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Prayers for Each of the 28 Steps (Note: A Hail Mary and an invocation to your Patron Saint may be added at each step.) 1st Step. O My Jesus! By the anguish of heart You experienced when parting from Your most holy mother before facing death, have mercy on me! 2nd Step. O My Jesus! By the confusion that overwhelmed You, causing You to sweat blood in the Garden of Olives, have mercy on me! 3rd Step. O My Jesus! By the deep sorrow that filled Your heart upon seeing Yourself betrayed by Judas, have mercy on me! 4th Step. O My Jesus! By the shame You felt when led as a criminal through the streets of Jerusalem, have mercy on me! 5th Step. O My Jesus! By the gentleness You displayed when struck in the face during Your trial, have mercy on me! 6th Step. O My Jesus! By the patient endurance You showed through the insults and mockeries throughout the night leading up to Your death, have mercy on me! 7th Step. O My Jesus! By the cruel treatment You suffered while being dragged repeatedly on the Sacred Stairs, have mercy on me! 8th Step. O My Jesus! By the silence You maintained in the face of false witnesses and the unjust Pilate, who condemned You, have mercy on me! 9th Step. O My Jesus! By the humiliation You accepted amidst the scorn of Herod and his court, have mercy on me! 10th Step. O My Jesus! By the shame You felt when stripped of Your garments and tied to the pillar to be scourged, have mercy on me! 11th Step. O My Jesus! By the pain You endured from the scourging, with Your body covered in wounds and bruises, have mercy on me! 12th Step. O My Jesus! By the torment from the sharp thorns piercing Your head, have mercy on me! 13th Step. O My Jesus! By the patience You showed when clothed in purple and mocked, holding a reed, have mercy on me! 14th Step. O My Jesus! By the grief You experienced upon hearing the people call for Your death, have mercy on me! 15th Step. O My Jesus! By the humiliation You suffered when compared to Barabbas and seeing the criminal preferred to You, have mercy on me! 16th Step. O My Jesus! By the resignation with which You embraced the Cross and walked the road to Calvary, have mercy on me! 17th Step. O My Jesus! By the sorrow You felt meeting Your most holy Mother and witnessing her anguish, have mercy on me! 18th Step. O My Jesus! By the overwhelming weariness that came over You while carrying the Cross, have mercy on me! 19th Step. O My Jesus! By the bitterness You experienced when gall and vinegar touched Your lips, have mercy on me! 20th Step. O My Jesus! By the agony You endured when Your garments were torn from You, have mercy on me! 21st Step. O My Jesus! By the suffering You experienced when nailed to the Cross at Calvary, have mercy on me! 22nd Step. O My Jesus! By the infinite charity that inspired You to forgive Your executioners and pray for them, have mercy on me! 23rd Step. O My Jesus! By the kindness You showed by giving paradise to the penitent thief and entrusting Mary to John, have mercy on me! 24th Step. O My Jesus! By the intense thirst that tormented You on the Cross, have mercy on me! 25th Step. O My Jesus! By the suffering You felt when abandoned by all, have mercy on me! 26th Step. O My Jesus! By the great love with which Your Divine Heart burned as You breathed Your last, have mercy on me! 27th Step. O My Jesus! By the endless compassion You displayed when Your side was pierced by a spear, have mercy on me! 28th Step. O My Jesus! By the tender condescension with which You allowed Your sacred body to be placed in the arms of Your Mother and then laid in the tomb, have mercy on me!