The Santiago Confraternity of the Parish of S. Salvador de Grijó organized the VI Conference (2nd International) Sinais do Caminho (Signs of the Camino) on Saturday, September 26, at the Monastery of Grijó, its headquarters in Vila Nova de Gaia. The gathering combined studies and personal experiences about heritage, culture, spirituality and the welcoming of pilgrims.
The conference featured talks by Paulo Almeida Fernandes, from the Lisboa Museum, Benedict Buono, from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Manuel F. Rodríguez and Lúcio Lourenço. Arminda Santos of the Porto UNESCO Club also contributed, and Carla Santos spoke about what she experienced on the Caminos and the projects she has been developing.
The event brought together Bishop Manuel Linda of Porto, representatives of the local governments of Vila Nova de Gaia and Grijó, the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission and the Order of Malta, and several organizations connected to the Camino, such as the Oficina do Peregrino do Porto (Porto Pilgrim Office) and the albergues of Porto and Vairão.
The Espaço Jacobeus Association was represented by its board, which renewed its commitment to promoting, preserving and enhancing the Caminos de Santiago. It argued that the Caminos are not limited to routes marked on the ground and are made of the encounters and memories of those who walk them, and of symbols and signs that challenge people and invite them to keep going.
The Confraternity thanked the participants, collaborators and partners, especially Jerónimo Pereira and Fernando Ulisses, who made possible marker 263, a waymark on the Camino de Santiago. It described the marker as a symbol of cooperation and commitment to Jacobean heritage. It also expressed the hope that everyone will continue to share and to serve.
The conference’s studies and presentations were compiled in the book “Pelos Caminhos de Santiago 2026” (Along the Caminos de Santiago 2026), published with the support of Cesarina Neves, a member of the Confraternity. The organizers highlighted the quality of the talks and the richness of the testimonies. They stressed that the speakers’ knowledge and experience provided moments of great human, cultural and academic interest.
