Brotherhood of São Bento da Porta Aberta launches digital app for pilgrims to the Terras de Bouro sanctuary

Digital app from the Brotherhood of São Bento da Porta Aberta

The Brotherhood of São Bento da Porta Aberta has introduced a digital app designed to assist the thousands of pilgrims who travel each year to the sanctuary in Terras de Bouro. The platform brings together details on routes, support points, local heritage and safety advice for the journey.

The new tool is already available online and, within the next few weeks, it is expected to be downloadable to mobile phones via the App Store or the Play Store.

Spiritual preparation at the heart of the pilgrimage

According to the Brotherhood’s president, Canon Miguel Simões, the app aims to make the walk “safer, more organised and more enriching”, while never losing sight of the pilgrimage’s spiritual dimension. That intention is clear from the moment the app opens: instead of a map or an outline of itineraries, the first thing users see is a pilgrim’s prayer.

“We believe that any pilgrimage should begin with spiritual preparation. Before we set foot on the road, we must prepare the heart,” he said at the public launch of the app, stressing that “going on pilgrimage is not just walking”, but also “making an inner journey”.

Although it has been created primarily for those travelling to the sanctuary for religious reasons, the app also caters for people drawn by the area’s nature, heritage or trails, offering practical information about the routes and the services available.

“Paths of faith”

Even so, Miguel Simões was keen to underline that the Paths of São Bento “were born of faith” and “will always remain paths of faith”. “Going on pilgrimage to São Bento is far more than reaching the destination. It is making a pilgrimage, fulfilling a promise, giving thanks for a grace received, asking for protection and renewing hope,” he said.

The Brotherhood’s president also assured that this is only the project’s first phase, and that the app will continue to be expanded with new content and additional features.