The Catholic Church is taking a page out of Silicon Valley's playbook: inventing gadgets in hopes of attracting devoted followers.
The Click to Pray eRosary is a smart wearable device from the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, a Vatican organization that mobilizes Catholics to "address the challenges facing humanity" through prayer.
Users can activate the eRosary by making the sign of the cross.
It's made of 10 black agate and hematite beads, and is attached to a smart cross that stores data from an iOS and Android app of the same name. The device and app also collect data on steps, calories, and distance — in effect functioning like a fitness tracker.
Users can select from several Rosary programs.
"Once the prayer begins, the smart rosary shows the user’s progression throughout the different mysteries and keeps track of each rosary completed," explains the press release.
The app provides guidance through the praying process with music, narration, images and personalized content. It also tracks the numbers of Rosaries the user has completed and their total time praying.
The Click to Pray eRosary is priced at 99 euros (about $109) and is available for preorder on Amazon's Italian website, Amazon.it.
