It does more than just look pretty. Standing prominently in the Campo de São Francisco in Ponta Delgada, the Igreja de São José is a masterclass in the unique architecture of the Azores. While its roots go back to a modest 16th-century chapel, the grand structure we see today was largely the work of the Franciscan Order in the 1700s.

What makes it truly stand out is the "Poetry in Stone" created by the island itself. The dramatic contrast between the white walls and the dark, volcanic basalt gives it a weight that feels rooted in the earth. Like so many other Portuguese churches that have survived the isolation of the Atlantic, it showcases a quiet resilience. Even today, beneath its massive painted ceilings, you find humans lighting candles for their causes and looking for divine help in the silence of the nave.

The view after exiting the church, especially when the sun sets over the harbour plaza, serves as a further great moment to contemplate. There is a power to pray in the middle of the ocean.