A new app designed by Franciscan friars is helping travelers discover Rome’s hidden spiritual gems.
Rome Pilgrim—created just in time for the Jubilee Year of Hope—offers an interactive way to explore over 170 churches and 180 relics and tombs of saints.
Fr. Charbel Boustany, FFI, one of the friars behind the project, says the app helps visitors go beyond sightseeing to experience the city as true pilgrims. “It’s especially useful for the Jubilee year, but it’s going to be useful forever,” he told The Catholic Weekly.
A digital pilgrimage guide
Fr. Boustany, who was ordained in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney in 2024, came up with the idea after noticing that many visitors to Rome weren’t aware of its lesser-known spiritual sites.
“When I first arrived in Rome five years ago, people from Australia and America would visit and want to make a pilgrimage,” he told The Catholic Weekly. “I’d take them to different places, and they’d be so surprised. They knew about St. Peter’s, but they had no idea about all these relics and tombs of saints.”
Wanting to make these spiritual treasures accessible to everyone, Fr. Boustany and his fellow friars developed Rome Pilgrim. The app helps users locate churches and relics and also provides descriptions, historical insights, and prayers specific to each site.
“It tells them what’s around them anytime when they’re in Rome, and even if they’re outside of Rome, they can search through it with different categories,” he said.
Practical tools for spiritual seekers
Available in English, Italian, French, and Spanish, Rome Pilgrim also includes maps, walking routes inspired by saints, and Mass schedules in multiple languages. Pilgrims can follow in the footsteps of St. Paul, visit Marian shrines, or pray at the tombs of early Christian martyrs.
“We tried really hard to make it comprehensive, to help people have a good spiritual experience when they visit Rome,” Fr. Boustany said.
The app is free to download on iOS and Android, offering a new way for travelers to deepen their faith while exploring the Eternal City. Whether visiting for the Jubilee or simply seeking a meaningful journey, Rome Pilgrim is a valuable companion for any Catholic traveler.
