The rector of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, in Lamego, Father João António Teixeira, described the festivities in honour of the patron saint as "a kind of Mariano tsunami", considering the experience "overwhelming in number and intensity". The priest stressed that the relationship with Our Lady is "in the soul of the people" and that there are no "class-based segmentations", with a unity around the mother being observed throughout the days of the novena and the festival.
The official highlighted that, despite the media prominence of the Procession of Triumph, there is a "growing demand for spirituality, that is, for listening, for silence, for the daily living of faith", noting that the number of faithful seeking spiritual care "increased exponentially" after the pandemic. Father João António Teixeira also noted that there are "situations that are not visible and that are not reproducible" in the usual television reports.
Regarding the profile of those who walk the more than 600 steps of the stairway, the rector pointed to a "great variety", explaining that "there are those who do it in a spirit of prayer, even in community, families". The priest observed a process of inner transformation where "the tourist transforms into a pilgrim", stressing that "the tourist merely passes by at a walking pace whereas the pilgrim, in addition to passing by, stops".
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies has been receiving devotees from different latitudes, including people from Spain, France, Italy, northern Europe, Latin America and even from Asia, such as from Taiwan. The festivities in honour of the birth of Our Lady of Remedies are celebrated annually between August and September 8th, the date that coincides with the day of the patron saint. The original image of the Virgin with the Child at her breast dates from the 15th century, and the current sanctuary began to be built in 1750, after the Chapel of Saint Stephen, from 1361, and the first Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies, from 1565.
