Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima - Lewiston, New York

(Photo www.fatmashrine.com)

Destination: If you plan a trip to Niagra Falls, plan a side trip to the Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Its beautiful dome serves both to cover a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and to provide an elevated view for the shrine grounds. To get directions, type 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston, N.Y., into your favorite web-based map program.
Masses are at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go:  Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, open since 1954, offers natural beauty, art, communal prayer, and renewal to its visitors. The Dome Basilica is covered with two layers of glass and Plexiglas, with a contour of the Northern Hemisphere of the globe.
The approach to the basilica is down the Avenue of the Saints, featuring more than 100 life-size marble and  bronze statues of saints, and around the Rosary  Pool.
Two flights of stairs, with 63 steps, lead to the top of the Dome, and a 13-foot statue of Our Lady of Fatima, carved from Vermont granite.
Among many other features on the shrine grounds are a replica of the original Fatima chapel in Portugal, a bell tower, and Stations of the Cross.
The shrine is operated by the Barnabite Fathers, who arrived from Italy in 1954.
Special events: There is daily rosary at 11:15 a.m. during the Marian months of October and May and there is a 7 p.m. rosary and Mass on the 13th of every month.
A Festival of Lights is held from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the first Sunday after New Year’s Day, 5-9 p.m.
Amenities: The shrine grounds house both a gift shop and a cafeteria, but hours vary seasonally. The shrine is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Access: The dome steps may present problems for some visitors, but the grounds are accessible to the handicapped and wheelchairs are available. The shrine is undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2017 centennial anniversary of the Fatima apparitions.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Make sure the kids (and you) bring cameras. Then check out the postcard photo contest at http://fatimashrine.posterous.com.
Info: Address: Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, P.O. Box 167, Youngstown, NY 14174-0167. Phone: 716/754-7489. Web: www.fatimashrine.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org