Domine Quo Vadis

The church built on the site where St. Peter finally found his mettle on Rome's Appian Way

Rome's church of Santa Maria in Palmis, better known as Quo Vadis, on the Appian Way. (Photo by LPLT)

Along the Via Appia Antica, famous for its Christian catacombs, is the legendary site where the soon-to-be-Saint Peter, scurrying away from the Christian persecutions in Rome, met a vision of Christ blocking the road.

The church built beside that site is called Domine, Quo Vadis—an odd name for a church, until you hear the parable behind it.

Finding his way blocked by the specter of his Savior, a nervous and surprised Peter asked, "Domine, Quo Vadis?," which is Latin for 'Lord, where are you going?' (and can I find a way to make a successful PBS miniseries out of this?).

The footprints of Jesus Christ in Rome's church of Santa Maria in Palmis, aka Quoa Vadis?

The supposed footprints of Jesus Christ.

The vision of Christ replied, "To Rome, to be crucified a second time," whereupon Jesus disappeared, leaving his footprints in the road's flagstone as a sign (there's a cast of them inside the church).

A chastened Peter realized that Christ meant he was going to take the place of the weak-willed first pope and die, once again, for his faith. Peter turned around and returned to Rome to take his martyrdom like a man.

(In fact, when it came to the moment, Peter gritted his teeth and told his executioners he was unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as his Lord and, in effect, asked them to "Do me upside down." This is why there are still a few St. Peter-related holy sites around Rome sporting upside-down crosses—so no, they're not for Satan-worshippers.)