Black and white film photograph of children walking to the Grotto in Lourdes, Pentax ME Super with Kentmere 100, July 2025

Summer 2025 Part IV.  What I Gave Them at the Grotto.

A father reflects on one final family trip to Lourdes in What I Gave Them at the Grotto, a heartfelt essay about faith, fatherhood, and the quiet moments that shape a child’s soul. As his children grow older, he grapples with what it means to pass on belief—not through preaching, but through presence. Set against the sacred landscape of southern France, this personal narrative weaves Mass, memory, and a grainy film photograph into a meditation on legacy, letting go, and the imperfect love that lasts a lifetime.

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Lourdes 2025

There are places where the air feels different — where time slows and grace moves quietly among the crowds. Lourdes is one of those places. This is the story of my pilgrimage there with my son Killian, and the moment that changed us both — a quiet encounter, a listening heart, and a whisper from God.

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