Every time I visit this sacred space I am captivated by its beauty. Located on the grounds of the University of Notre Dame, The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is rarely without visitors. Millions have trekked to this peaceful place since its beginnings in 1896, offering up prayers and petitions and lighting candles in the stone cave.

The Grotto is a smaller replication of the famed shrine in Lourdes, France, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to St. Bernadette on several occasions. A small piece of stone from the French Grotto was used in this replica, along with boulders from area farms. It is truly one of my favorite sacred spaces—a place I have visited many times over the years. It is serenely beautiful—a wonderful place for contemplation and reflection.