Medjugorje News & Articles

Jakov is going to share with us the most important that is about our Lady’s apparitions: And what is the most important, the messages on which Our Lady is calling us here? Apparitions are continuing, are lasting already nearly 25 years. Many people have come here to Medjugorje, they ask themselves, why apparitions are lasting so long ? Why Our Lady has been giving us so many messages? Many people say the messages are many times the same. I always say to everybody, instead of why, we should say thank you. Thanks to God for graces which he gave to us. Thanks to God because he allows Our Lady to be here for 25 years.

The following homily was delivered Sunday, June 15, at St. James Church in Medjugorje by Fr. Timothy Deeter.

Last night, I finished another book for my spiritual reading. I’m constantly amazed at how God directs me to read spiritual works that have important lessons for my own life at the time I’m reading them. The book I just finished is entitled Testimony of Hope and it’s by Archbishop—later Cardinal—Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. In 1975, only a few months after his appointment as archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), he was imprisoned by the Vietnamese government for 13 years. Then he was placed under house arrest for three more years, before finally being expelled from Vietnam. Archbishop Van Thuan went to Rome to work in the Vatican, and in the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II asked him to preach the annual Lenten retreat for himself and the heads of various Vatican departments. The retreat was so successful that the Pope asked the Archbishop to publish the text of his reflections.

Medjugorje in early August, will host one of the most famous opera singers of today, the Italian tenors Andrea Bocelli, who will with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra perform in front of the church of St. Joseph. Organizers expect more than a hundred thousand visitors. The concert will transmit in Croatian television FTV, state public television Televizija Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine.

The 19th International Youth Festival - Mladifest 19 – will take place in Medjugorje from August 1st to August 6th, 2008. The theme of the encounter is, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8) (“In silence may the Holy Spirit speak to you and permit Him to convert and change you.” - Message of July 25, 2006)

The reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bosnia-Herzegovina (former Yugoslavia) have attracted the attention of the world and approximately 30 million pilgrims. Since June 24, 1981, six children began to report daily visits from the "Queen of Peace" and several of the "visionaries" continue to report receiving a daily apparition from the Mother of Jesus over 25 years later.

Is Medjugorje real? Are these authentic apparitions of the Virgin Mary? What is the official position of the Catholic Church about their authenticity? Could these simply be the fraudulent deception of hysteric children (now adults) for reasons of attention and personal gain?

The 27^th Anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje was solemnly celebrated in the spirit of gratitude for all the graces received.

This was given in May 2007, on the steps of the blue house where Vicka frequently gives her testimony to groups of pilgrims in Medjugorje. I regret I do not know the name of the guide who provided the translation. Vicka spoke in Italian and this was then translated into English. The guide began by introducing Vicka. Throughout this entire testimony, Vicka smiled, waved and blew kisses at everyone.

For the 8^th consecutive year, with the blessing of the Maronite Patriarch, from 16^th to 25^th of June every year “Friends of Mary Queen of Peace” association is organizing the prayer novena “Praying with Mary for Lebanon” which is a 24/24 hours novena of praying the rosary, fasting (nine days or one day according to a personal choice) and adoration of The Blessed Sacrament. Each year it is taking place in another region of Lebanon and in the churches designated by local bishops.

In her talk to us, Mirjana began by recounting the early days of the apparitions. She did this primarily for those who had never been to Medjugorje before. Any words in italics are mine. The first part of the overview is presented here. Mirjana's words were translated by Miki Musa and therefore are not always grammatically correct but you will get the idea.