Pilgrimage by iPhone

A new app is making it possible for Christians to take part in one of the most popular pilgrimages via their iPhones.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk the Way of St James in northwestern Spain.

The route takes pilgrims to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela where, according to tradition, the remains of the apostle James are buried.

However, it's not always possible for people to make the pilgrimage in person. That's why Montreal developer Eric Gagnon has come up with an iPhone application that allows people to do the pilgrimage simply by walking the streets around their house.

The app acts as a pedometer and transforms users' steps into pilgrim steps, which are then transposed on a virtual map of the last 100 kilometers of the pilgrimage.

The 'pilgrim's passport' allows users to collect a stamp for each city on their route and there is a personalised certificate of accomplishment upon completion of the pilgrimage.

Find out more here