- What is Aquero?
- Aquero is a prayer companion app focused on Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Bernadette, and the threads of Lourdes: the sick, the water, and the apparition. It is published by Harnisch LLC.
- What does the name mean?
- Aqueró is the Bigourdan-dialect Occitan word Bernadette used at the grotto to describe what she saw, before she knew it was Mary. It means “that one.” It captures the moment of first encounter, when language fails and only awe remains.
- Who builds Aquero?
- A small lay-built effort rooted in Lourdes, published by Harnisch LLC. Friends, family, and trusted advisors help where they can.
- Is Aquero connected to the Sanctuaire de Lourdes?
- No. Aquero is built in adjacency to and in service of the Sanctuaire’s mission, but it is an independent work with no official partnership with the Sanctuaire or with the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes. We do not republish the Sanctuaire’s operational information. We point pilgrims to the Sanctuaire’s own channels for that.
- Is Aquero an official Catholic Church project?
- No. Aquero is a lay-built devotional app. It is not a parish project, not a diocesan project, and not an official project of any Church body.
- Will the app cost me anything?
- No. The app is free. There are no paid tiers and no features locked behind a subscription. There are no plans to add any.
- Are there ads?
- No. There are no ads in the app or on the website. There is no plan to add them.
- Will my data be sold?
- No. Aquero does not sell user data. The app is account-free wherever possible, runs without third-party analytics by default, and is built to do its work offline whenever it can.
- How can I support Aquero?
- Through Stripe (see the support page). Aquero is currently self-funded; the ask is $5 a week to help keep the app alive, with the option to give several weeks at once. Gifts go directly to the work without making the app a paid product.
- Where does the money go?
- Operating costs: hosting, app development, and design. Gifts are made to Harnisch LLC, the app’s publisher, and keep Aquero free and ad-free. Money given here does not go to the Sanctuaire de Lourdes or to the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes; if you wish to support them, give to them directly through their own channels.
- Are gifts tax-deductible?
- No. Aquero is published by Harnisch LLC, which is not a 501(c)(3). Gifts are not tax-deductible.
- Will paid features ever be added to the app?
- No. The app is and will remain free, ad-free, and free of feature gating. Supporting the work happens separately, through a Stripe gift on the support page.
- How is Aquero different from Hallow, Magnificat, or iBreviary?
- Aquero is not in competition with them. They do good work in their own way. Aquero is specifically focused on Our Lady of Lourdes, on the spirituality of the grotto, and on accompanying pilgrims, especially the sick, wherever they happen to be. It is funded by supporters rather than investors. It does not gate features. It does not run on streaks. It is, by design, simple, like Bernadette herself.
- Will Aquero work without an internet connection?
- Wherever possible, yes. The app is designed to do its work offline when it can. Some features may need a connection.
- Can I help, beyond a gift?
- Yes. Pray for the work. Pray for the people it is built to serve. If you have skills you think would benefit the work as it grows, mention that in an email to support@aqueroministries.org.
- What happens to Aquero if it does not work out?
- Aquero is here for as long as Our Lady wants it to be. If it serves no purpose, it will be brought to a close. Not everything lasts forever. Aquero will not be here someday. While it is here, the work is to make it as faithful as possible.
