Opened in 1948, the Catholic Church in Bala is the first church outside of Portugal to be dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. Previously, Bala did not have a Catholic Church in the town centre, and the little white-washed church, hidden behind a house, has been converted from a stable dating back to the early 17th Century. The oak statue of Our Lady of Fatima was carved by the Portuguese sculptor who made one for the Fatima Basilica. The statue now stands in a small shrine built as an extnsion for the church.