John and Linda's Travel Journal: Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston, New York

Twenty minutes away from Niagara Fall is the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima. In 1917 in Fatima, a small town north of Lisbon, Portugal, Our Lady appeared to three little shepherds: Lucia and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco. Our Lady asked for prayers and sacrifice, specifically praying the rosary every day, so that "Our Lord may save humanity from all calamities and bring peace in the world." 2017 is the 100th anniversary of the miraculous apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. The grounds are quiet and peaceful. Here are some of the photos we took.

The Bell Tower is 48 feet tall and was built during the shrine's 25th anniversary in 1981. It is a statutory grouping of Our Lady of Fatima and the three children.

The Avenue of Saints has over 135 life-size marble statues which represent saints from every race and walk of life.

Stations of the Cross are located along the sidewalks on either side of the Avenue of Saints.

Some of the Saints...

Some other statues on the grounds...

The Angel of Fatima group represents the appearance of the Angel to the three children prior to the apparition of Our Lady.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Holy Family

Also on the grounds is a replica of the first chapel built at Fatima where Our Lady appeared to the children.

After walking down the Avenue of Saints before reaching the Basilica is a giant Rosary, believed to be one of the largest outdoor rosaries in the world. It consists of 59 lights ending with a beautiful marble Jesus nailed to a cross. The rosary outlines a heart shaped pool which symbolizes Mary's Immaculate Heart.

View of the Rosary pool from the top of the Basilica...

Directly in front of the Basilica sits a beautiful bronze statue of the three children.

The church measures 100 feet in diameter and is 55 feet high. The dome is covered with two layers of glass and Plexiglas and has the outline of the Northern Hemisphere. Our Lady sits on the top of the dome. In October 1975 his Holiness Pope Paul VI conferred the title of Basilica upon this church. A Basilica is a church associated with the Holy See. One of the privileges accorded to a Basilica is the Plenary Indulgence to all those who gather there for prayer.

We climbed the stairs to the top of the Dome to see Our Lady up close.

The Church is currently under renovation and some places were hard to see. The Church has a Peace Mural and two chapels, the Immaculate Heart Chapel and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.