Outside the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Fatima
My first impression of the pilgrimage site of Fatima is that it was much larger than I thought it would be. There was a very large plaza and it is surrounded by churches. The main basilica has arms which surround the entire plaza. It is reminiscent of the Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome which is, of course, much larger. On one end of the plaza is the main basilica while the other end has another structure. It wasn’t obvious what the structure was, it wasn’t unlike a theater. There were names of names on the walls of the structure. Fortunately, one door was open.
Holy Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Fatima
It turned out that this is another church, specifically the Basilica of the Holy Trinity. The church was laid out much like a theater where most of the seats would be facing the front. Somehow, the inside of the basilica felt very spacious. Perhaps it was because of the higher than normal roof. I was surprised to know that the basilica is a very new addition to the Fatima complex. It was only completed in 2007 and the design was the result of a competition. I would have thought that the design would have been more striking but it seems like the design was from the 1970s. This basilica was built to support the large volume of pilgrims which come to Fatima. Although the existing basilica was very large, it still couldn’t handle that many visitors. The new Basilica of the Holy Trinity helps alleviate the pressure off the main basilica. Of course, people would still go to the main basilica but some may just opt for this one since it already in the area.
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