Medjugorje News

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

In the Christmas night, numerous faithful from the neighbourhood, as well as from distant parts of the world, join the parishioners of Medjugorje to celebrate Christmas here. This year, there were pilgrims from different European countries, as well as groups from Hong Kong, Macao and Korea.

The 10^th anniversary of broadcasting of Radio MIR Medjugorje was celebrated on Saturday, December 8^th, with Holy Mass in Saint James’ parish church in Medjugorje. The Eucharistic celebration was presided by Dr. Fr. Ivan Sesar, Provincial of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province of the Assumption of Mary and former Director of the Information Centre and Radio MIR Medjugorje, in concelebration with Dr. Fr. Miljenko Steko, current Director of the Information Centre and Radio MIR Medjugorje, Fr. Mario Knezovic, former Manager of the Information Centre and Chief Editor of Radio MIR Medjugorje, the Franciscans serving in Medjugorje and priests on pilgrimage in this place.

The 13th International Seminar for Priests will be held in Međugorje from June 30^th to July 5^th 2008. The topic of the seminar is:

«We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6,4)

From August 1 to 6 took place in Medjugorje the 18th International Youth Prayer Meeting under the title, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34).

A day or two before the beginning, a multitude of youngsters was coming to Medjugorje. Many wanted to climb the Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain and pray there before the beginning of the Festival.

On June 25, the parish of Medjugorje celebrated the feast of St. James, its patron saint.

Following tradition, the morning Eucharistic celebration which took place in the park near the parish church was preceded by a procession with the statue of St. James, and the singing of the litanies of All Saints. This year, the honour to carry the statue was given to those living in the areas of Medjugorje called Ostojići.

A Proposition of a Simple Solution to World Hunger that Works

If you can’t feed one hundred people, then feed just one” (Mother Teresa)

The Humanitarian Organization “Scottish International Relief” organized in Medjugorje the first international Mary’s Meals conference from June 11 to 15, 2007.

At the beginning of the month of May which is consecrated to the Mother of God, an unusual wave of pilgrims came upon Medjugorje. It was the presence of a people which is very faithful to Marian devotion; a people very attached to my own heart: “a people from afar, far but always close, strong in its faith and Christian tradition.” Yes, I am talking of the Polish pilgrims, who came so numerously in the fi rst week of May. They came to thank God for the gift of the Virgin Mary, and to lift up to God their song of praise.

“With Mary, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit”

The Twelfth International Seminar for Priests took place in Medjugorje from 2 to 7 July 2007. he theme of the seminar was, “With Mary, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit”.

The preacher of this retreat was supposed to be Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical House, who was unable to come because of unexpected circumstances. He was replaced by Prof. Dr. Tomislav Ivančić (born 1938), former Dean of the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb (Croatia), at present Director of the Institute for the Fundamental Theology, founder of the Community “Prayer and Word” and of the “Center for spiritual help” where the Hagiotherapy (Healing with the Holy) is applied, founder of the School for Evangelization and of the School for Hagiotherapy.

„My soul magnifies the Lord, exults my spirit in God my Saviour”. With these words, during the whole Novena, every evening after Holy Mass, the Medjugorje visionaries, the faithful and the pilgrims were thanking for the grace that God has shown to Medjugorje and to the whole world during these 26 years of Our Lady’s apparitions.

The 18th International Youth Festival - Mladifest 18 – will take place in Medjugorje from August 1st to August 6th, 2007. The theme of the encounter is, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34) (“Dear children! Today I call you to love. Little children, love each other with God’s love…The risen Jesus will be with you and you will be His witnesses.” - Message of March 25, 2005)

Festivity, recollection, inner joy, and an atmosphere of grace and prayer - just as one would expect at Medjugorje, the land chosen and moulded by Mary to fulfi l her plan of renewal for the Church and mankind – was what made new year’s eve extra special; even if each time of the year at Medjugorje is marked by particular graces.

In the Parish of Medjugorje, the Solemnity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is called “Križevac” and is traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday after the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. In honour of the Holy Year of Redemption 1933/34, and inspired by their pastor Fr. Bernardin Smoljan, the parishioners, despite their poverty, built a monumental cross, 8.5 m high and 3.5 m wide, on the hill above Medjugorje. Relics of the true cross of Jesus, received from Rome for the occasion, are embedded in the crossbar itself.

A song, warm and rhythmical, rises from their joyful hearts, as also their minds and bodies praise the King. In dozens of different languages and prayers, with hundreds of different colours and thousands of voices, there is something new and unique going on in Medjugorje. It cannot go unnoticed by anyone, but rather, the life it brings urges you to come and be part of this one body, which is the springtime of the Church, and the mystical body of Christ.

"We have the same attitude towards God when we do not put Him in the first place and when we do not pray. We are far removed from the source of the spring and become frustrated. Grace is given to us through our relationship with God - in prayer."

The 17th International Youth Festival took place in Medjugorje from August 1 to 6, 2006. This year’s theme was, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119 [118]:105), in harmony with the theme, which the Holy Father Benedict XVI gave to the youth for this year’s World Youth Day that took place on Palm Sunday in local Churches.

The air of Medjugorje is bubbling with joy, faces are radiant, everyone is grateful for being here for this important and long awaited occasion: the 25th Anniversary of Mary’s apparitions at Medjugorje.

Everyone feels grateful, even privileged, as though each had received a personal invitation. Everyone certainly feels loved. It is as though the Gospa had “arranged things” in the life of each person to make it possible for him or her to be here. It hasn’t got to do with favouritism, but of being called. We are all called to become apostles, mediators of a grace that is too big to be contained. It is a gratuitous call by God that ought not make us feel better than others, but only responsible administrators of a good destined for all.

The 25th Anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje was solemnly celebrated in the spirit of gratitude for all the graces received.

Spiritual preparation - Novena

The spiritual preparation for the Anniversary was the Novena, which was prayed on Apparition Hill by the parishioners and the pilgrims from all over the world. From June 15 to 23, great crowds flocked towards Podbrdo at any time of day or night. Every day at 4 pm, they prayed the Rosary together with the Franciscans, and the visionaries also climbed the hill to pray there with the faithful.