Waiting to visit the Grotto

The site of the shrine is so vast it's difficult to convey with photographs. There was a very long queue of people (on the left of the picture) waiting to go to tne Grotto, and another queue (in the middle of the picture) of disabled people. The sick and disabled are pushed around in a fleet of blue bath-chairs.

Despite the huge numbers of people, there was everywhere a wonderful atmosphere of peace and calm, and hardly any noise. The sense of prayer and spiritual joy was everywhere. At any given time there were various services happening in different places, so prayer and singing could always be heard in tne air.