The effect of the authenticity of the Catholic pilgrimage site on spiritual well‐being and quality of life of pilgrims

Abstract

With the growing interest in spirituality, there has been a corresponding rise in the number of pilgrimages. Modern pilgrims embark on pilgrimages not only for religious purposes but also for their own mental peace and health. To enhance our understanding of this trend we conducted an empirical survey of pilgrims visiting Saenamteo Catholic Martyrs' Shrine, a representative martyrdom site in Korea located on the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route, the first Vatican‐designated international pilgrimage site in Asia. The analysis showed that the authenticity of the pilgrimage site impacts both the religious and the existential aspects of spiritual well‐being. However, while the existential aspect of spiritual well‐being impacted on quality of life, the religious well‐being was insignificant. These results indicate that modern pilgrims feel that their happiness and health, rather than their religion directly affects their quality of life.