Help is at hand for any Roman Catholics who have vowed to make the pilgrimage to Fatima in Portugal, which is famous for religious visions, but cannot fulfill their promise - rent-a-pilgrim.
For 2,500 euros ($A4,114), Pilgrim Gil will make the journey in your place and send you a certificate stamped along the way to prove he walked your every step.
Carlos Gil, 42, who owns a small computer company, took up the practice four years ago when he suddenly "felt an urge to walk to Fatima" and said charging each client was simply a way to keep doing what he loves.
"I make the trip to Fatima once or twice a year because it elevates my spirit," he said.
"Sometimes the trip is so intense that I forget I'm doing it to fulfill my client's promises."
Like a true pilgrim, Mr Gil begins his seven-day journey to Fatima on foot from his home in Cascais, a small town on the outskirts of Lisbon, about 160 kilometres from the shrine.
It takes him another six days to walk back.
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