In December 2020, Pope Francis announced that the whole of 2021 would be dedicated to Saint Joseph, who occupies a central position in the nativity scene. Discreet, and yet...

Over the centuries, Saint Joseph has remained an essential part of the Holy Family in the minds of believers.

It’s the beginning of July, and in Cotignac, a small Provençal village where the father of Jesus on Earth appeared to a local shepherd, it’s time for the pilgrimage of the fathers.

By taking to the road on a beautiful summer afternoon, these men will also be travelling some of the path of life.

Many small groups share the hiking trails through the green mountains of Provence.

They come from different backgrounds, but all of them have a family, or are in the process of creating one. The conversation flows freely and they have come to be heard, to be supported, or to exchange ideas.

They will walk for two days towards the same destination: the sanctuary of Cotignac, which houses the statue of St Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, representing the quiet man who, without fuss, provides for his family’s basic needs.

We will accompany parishioners from Saint-Cyr-sur-mer and their priest, as well as a group of singing pilgrims who gather each year for the event.

This pilgrimage allows all those embarking upon it to isolate themselves for a few days, and to question their place as men, fathers and husbands.

As we walk along with them, the figure of Saint Joseph, father and model husband, gradually begins to emerge from the testimonies.