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Overview

As a part of your trip to Niagara Falls USA and historical Buffalo, NY visit Our Lady of Fatima Shrine.  This 100 Year old awe-inspiring glass dome Basilica and US National Shrine is located on fifteen acres of gardens. The most prominent feature of the Basilica’s exterior is its huge copper dome. The dome was second in size to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. Over 100 life-size statues, a natural pond and a heart shaped Rosary Pool offer a haven for reflection and prayer. Daily Masses and Confessions are readily available.  

 

The Basilica

The construction of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima Basilica was started in 1959. This unique church measures 100 feet in diameter and is 55 feet high. The Dome is covered with two layers of glass and plexiglass depicting a contour of the Northern Hemisphere, upon which rests a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady is very much in the midst of the world helping humanity to reach the Lord. This Church was dedicated in 1965 and consecrated on October 5, 1974. On October 7, 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 here for prayer, according to the intentions of the Holy Father.

 

The Meaning of Lady Fatima

Fatima is the name of a small town north of Lisbon, Portugal. There, in 1917, Our Ladyof Fatima appeared to three little shepherds:The “Beautiful Lady dressed in white and more brilliant than the sun”, asked for prayers and sacrifice, so that “Our Lord may save humanity from all calamities and bring peace to the world...” A prayerful life consists of doing everything in God, with God, and for God. She emphasized a daily simple formula of praying called the Rosary, during which one reflects upon God's personal love for us. She stressed the fulfillment of one's daily duty according to the Gospel principles. This is the Fatima message and makes Fatima one of the 21st Century’s most pressing heavenly invitations to an authentic Christian life.

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

On The Basilica Grounds

The Bell Tower

This Bell Tower, 48 feet tall, was built during the 25th Anniversary Year, 1981. The statuary group of Our Lady of Fatima and the three children is the original Fatima group which has attracted thousands of pilgrims since the Shrine’s beginning.

 

Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Czestochowa is a small village in Poland which grew to be the spiritual center of the nation and the spiritual joy of the Polish people.

 

Shrine of St. Jude. 

St. Jude Thaddaeus is the patron Saint of impossible causes.

 

Shrine of Mother Cabrini 

Mother Frances Cabrini was born in1850 in Italy. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to aid Italian immigrants in the New World. She taught at St.Anthony’s Church in Buffalo, N.Y. St. Frances Cabrini is the first American citizen to be canonized.

 

Shrine of the Sacred Heart

In our devotion to Jesus, our Redeemer, we focus our attention on the physical heart of Jesus as the symbol of His infinite merciful love for us.

 

Little Chapel of Fatima

This is a replica of the first chapel built at Fatima, Portugal, on the site where Our Lady appeared to the three little shepherds. Our Lady of Fatima asked for prayer and penance “for the conversion of sinners, and to repair the offenses offered to the Immaculate Heart of Mary”. Our Lady also requested that we “Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world”.

 

Angel of Fatima

This statuary group represents the appearance of the Angel to the three shepherd children, prior to the apparition of Our Lady. The Angel is holding the Eucharist.

 

Waterfall

 “Like a deer longs for running water, so does my soul long for You, O my God”. Psalm 41.

 

Our Lady of Peace

 A very popular image of our times, to remind us that the many apparitions of Our Lady, were to call us to the message of the Gospel.

 

Meditation Area

Area includes statues of:

 

a) St. Lorenzo Ruiz (1600-1637). The first Filipino saint, martyred in Japan.

b) Vietnamese Martyrs. Statue honors the 117 canonized martyrs who died between 1745 and 1862.

c) St. Andrew Kim (1821-1846). Korean Martyr.

d) St. Rafqa (1832-1914). “The Little Flower of Lebanon” – Maronite nun and mystic.

e) St. Sharbel (1828-1898). Lebanese Maronite monk.

f) St. Takla (16-106 AD). Virgin and Protomartyr.

g) St. Hardini (1808-1858). Lebanese Maronite mon

 

St. Kateri Tekakwitha- “Lily of the Mohawks”.

Born in Iroquois Territory (now Auriesville, NY) of a Mohawk warrior and Catholic Algonquin woman. Shewas baptized at 20, taking the name "Kateri", a Mohawk pronunciation of "Catherine." She lived a life dedicated to prayer, penance, and care for the sick in Kahnawake, Canada. She was beatified June 22, 1980 and her Feast day is July 14. Canonized October 21, 2012.

 

Shrine of St. Anne. St. Anne, and St. Joachim (facing St. Anne)

The grandparents of Jesus, deserve a special corner in this Shrine, dedicated to the Blessed Mother. Pause now and pray for your own grandparents, both living and deceased.

 

The Avenue and Aisle of Saints

Over one hundred thirty lifesize marble statues represent saints from every race and walk of life. They remind the visitors of men and women prominent in Christian life, who excelled in their love for God and neighbor. Shrine of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria. In 1533, St. Anthony M. Zaccaria founded the Order of the Clerics Regular of St. Paul, known as the Barnabite Fathers, who minister at this Shrine in honor of Our Lady, as well as in many other locations around the world. St. Anthony, during the Reformation, promoted the devotion to the Holy Eucharist. He also founded the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul. We invite you to pause here and pray for an increase of vocations to the Religious Life.

 

Shrine of the Holy Family

 The Holy Family of Nazareth is a beautiful example and model for our families. Through the Sacrament of Marriage God’s grace is granted to husbands and wives so that they, like Mary and Joseph, will provide an atmosphere conducive to their children responding to the will of God. We invite you to pray here for all the families of the World.

 

Giant Rosary 

In front of the Basilica, a giant Rosary, believed to be one of the largest outdoor rosaries in the world, consists of 59 lights ending with a beautiful marble Corpus of the Lord Jesus nailed to a cross. The Rosary pool is shaped in the form of a heart to symbolize Mary’s Immaculate Heart and her concern for our salvation. A Plenary indulgence may be gained by those who recite the rosary here at the Shrine.

 

Statues of the Apostles 

Around the giant Rosary are life size statues of the Apostles. We call your attention to the special place occupied by St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles and the Patron of the Barnabite Fathers.

 

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

Padre Pio was born in Southern Italy. He became a Capuchin friar, spending most of his life in a remote mountain friary. He received the gift of stigmata, bearing the wounds of Christ and many other charismatic gifts including reading the hearts of the penitents. He obtained many temporal and spiritual favors for the needy. 

 

St. Faustina

Her notebooks are known today as the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, and the words contained within are God's loving message of Divine Mercy.

 

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel

On the right side of the Dome, as you face the Altar, is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The marble Altar is from Carrara, Italy. The wood carvings behind the Altar are Filipino. Silence is requested in this holy place.

 

Stained Glass Window

“Angel’s Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament”.

 

The Peace Mural

Upon entering the Relic area of the Dome Basilica’s ambulatory, our attention is caught by the 24 by 7 ½ foot mural. For further information read the “Peace Mural” Brochure.

 

The Immaculate Heart Chapel

On the left side of the Dome, is the Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The beautiful statuary group of Our Lady of Fatima and the three children is made of Brazilian cedar wood and was hand-carved in Fatima, Portugal. Donated in 1964, it was blessed at the site of the original apparitions by the Most Rev. João Pereira Venancio, former Bishop of Fatima, who presided at the blessing of this Chapel.

 

Top of the Dome

Two flights of stairs, consisting of 63 steps each, lead to the top of the Dome, from where one enjoys a beautiful view of the Shrine grounds and surrounding hills. The large statue of Our Lady of Fatima is 13 feet high and weighs 10 tons. It was sculptured in Vermont granite. The grayish color of the stone disappears at night under the spotlights, and the statue.

 

The Three Children of Fatima

This bronze statue is modeled after the well-known photograph of Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto to whom Our Lady appeared in the Cova da Iria, in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The statue was sculpted by the Demetz Studio in Italy and blessed by the V. Rev. Richard Malone, Bishop of Buffalo, on May 13, 2017, the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Mary at Fatima, Portugal.

 

Monument to the Unborn

This unique monument formed by the scroll of the Old Testament and the book of the New Testament, which envelop the form of the unborn child, honors God’s love for the tiniest and most defenseless members of the human family.

 

Our Lady of the World

Mary’s image of holding the world in her hands signifies her love and concern for the world she embraces in her heart.

 

The Immaculate Conception Shrine

While serving in the military in the Korean War, William H. Tront was the sole survivor of one deadly battle. Having sustained serious head injuries, he pleaded for our Blessed Mother’s intercession and promised that if he should return home safely to his family, he would build a Shrine to Mary in the back yard of his home. The shrine, containing a life size white Carrara marble statue sculpted in Italy, was completed in 1985. Mr. Tront died in 1997. His wife, Mary J. (Sacco) Tront, before moving from their Buffalo home, donated the family shrine to Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in 2005. It was the ultimate will of William and Mary that their shrine would be placed at Fatima Shrine. The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States of America.

 

The First Chapel

Located on the left in the Fatima Store building, we find the original Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, beautiful and inspiring in its simplicity. A treasure chest from the Middle Ages with sculptured biblical scenes serves as an altar for the original statue of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine.

 

Fatima Hall

Pilgrims gather in this hall to view audio-visual presentations. The hall is also used for days of recollection and for spiritual conferences.

 

Our Lady of Constantinople

An ancient devotion to Our Lady, as the Mother of Jesus.

 

Barnabite Fathers Seminary

This Seminary is the Mother House of the Barnabite Fathers in North America. The Fathers, whose official name is Clerics Regular of St. Paul, (C.R.S.P.), are a religious Order of Priests and Brothers founded in Milan, Italy, in 1533. They are committed to teaching, missions, and parishes in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. Closed to the public. For more information on vocations to the Barnabite Order, please stop by the Shrine office.

 

FATIMA GIFT AND BOOKSTORE

The Fatima Gift and Book Shop is unique of its kind on the Niagara Frontier. Here you’ll find a large selection of Nativity sets (including Fontanini), crucifixes, rosaries, Catholic jewelry, and much more. The Book Shop has Bibles, prayer books, music, videotapes, CDs, Children’s Bibles and books, as well as titles on Scripture, Prayer, Our Lady, Spirituality and Theology. We stock Liturgical Press, Crossroad, Ignatius Press, Doubleday, Catholic Book Publishing, Liguori, Abbey Press, Twenty-third Publications, and many others.

The Fatima Gift and Book Store is open year-round.