Fatima

I arrived in Fatima. There are statues of Mary for sale everywhere, even in the bus station. I walked past endless tat shops full of these things but none of them have the same look as the one in the church in Azambuja. I could have sworn she was looking at me, like really looking at me. It was a bit surreal and I spent ages in there.  

I wandered up to the basilica, a huge modern building that looks more like a Jedi Temple than a cathedral. At first glance it looks like a circular concrete monstrosity but then as I walked around it and went inside I realised that there are no pillars holding the roof up, it’s just one massive church inside filled with seating. It must seat thousands of people. It’s the biggest building of its kind that I’ve ever seen. It’s so simple it could be a modern Protestant church yet it has a feel about it that suggests otherwise. 

I walked across a massive open air area that could contain tens of thousands of pilgrims and joined in with Angelus prayers at a chapel full of pilgrims at midday. The modern chapel had an open side so it was easy to accommodate the overspill of pilgrims trying to join in. This was then followed by a rosary, all projected via speakers. 

There was a smoothly paved path down one side from the basilica to the chapel, about 100 yards long that people were walking along on their knees during the rosary prayers. I then walked up the steps to the church of the apparitions which was a more modest sized, traditional church building. 

There are probably 200 or more pilgrims here. There are 11 masses and about 10 rosaries said each day so I will join in with some of these tomorrow.