MEDJUGORJE - An Oasis of Peace

The place is St. James Parish in the remote village of Medjugorje, 30 miles south of Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in what was then known as Yugoslavia. On June 24, 1981, two teenage girls, Ivanka and Mirjana, were walking along the hillside just outside the village when they suddenly saw, high on the hillside, a phenomenon which they recognized as the "Gospa" (the Blessed Virgin Mary). They were soon joined by two others, Vicka and Ivan, and the following day by two more children, Marija and Jakov. Many of the villagers, upon hearing the story from the youngsters, did not believe. However, within two days 3,000 people from surrounding areas flocked to the hillside with the children. When the six visionaries began to pray at the site, all in attendance saw brilliant flashes of light, signaling the arrival of Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus. The apparition identified herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace. She stated that she was bringing an urgent message for mankind to return to God. She said to the children: "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is fullness of life, and to enjoy the fullness and obtain peace, you must return to God." From that day to the present, she has been appearing to the seers daily. She has given them thousands of messages - for themselves, for the parish, for the region and for the world. During the apparitions, the visionaries do not react to light or sound; they do not react to being touched. They feel they are outside of time and space. All the visionaries declare in substance: "We see the Blessed Virgin as we see all other people. We pray and we speak with her." Our Lady presented herself as a servant messenger from God. The message she brought does not convey any new teachings, but echoes the Gospels and teachings of the Church. As at Fatima in 1917, she related the conditions for peace in the world - peace through prayer and conversion. She stressed: "Peace in the world is in a state of crisis. Mankind must be reconciled with God and with one another." Her messages are for the entire world, and she calls upon all of her children to reconcile with God by converting their lives. Only then will the world find the peace it strives for and which only God can give. Our Lady began giving weekly, then monthly, messages received and written down by the visionary Marija. These messages quickly began to appear around the world in many languages reaching many millions of people. Our Lady often has told the seers that Satan exists and is ever present. She stresses that Satan is now very strong and wants to lead as many souls as possible astray (away from God), and Satan wishes not only to destroy souls, but the world.

THE APPARITIONS DESCRIBED The visionaries describe Our Lady as beautiful beyond words, radiant with holiness. Her conversations with the children have taken the form of motherly tenderness and love, and she has taken the role of both mother and catechist in advising and directing their lives. She greets them with, "Praised be Jesus, my dear children." At the end of the apparition she says, "Go in peace, my dear children." She appears to the six visionaries as a three-dimensional real image and always appears amid brilliant flashes of light. Her appearances generally take place about 6:40 pm every day. In Medjugorje, thousands of people come daily at this time to participate in the event with prayer, song, the rosary and the Mass, which is often concelebrated by thirty or more priests. The entire evening service lasts about three hours. And this has been happening daily since 1981!

THE MESSAGE The basic message of Medjugorje is: Peace, Conversion, Prayer, Reconciliation and Fasting. Peace: "Peace. Be reconciled! Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast and to convert (reconcile with God)." Many times Our Lady told the seers that the world was living in great tensions. The world has to find peace to be saved, but it will not find peace without God. It was a prophecy that region of the world would soon see materialize in a horrific, bloody war in the former Yugoslavia. Conversion: Because of the great decrease in faith throughout the world, and the consequent increase in sin, Our Lady frequently spoke at Medjugorje of the need for conversion - reconciliation with God. Prayer: "Pray, Pray, Pray with your hearts." She stressed that we should not just say words, but need to think about and know what we are saying. Do not just give lip-service to God; pray with the heart. She explained her role as an intercessor. "Pray to Jesus. I am His mother and I intercede with Him. I will help. I will pray with you." Fasting: "You have forgotten that with prayer and fasting you can ward off war and suspend natural laws." She has asked us to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. Reconciliation: Our Lady has asked us to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a month. "There is not a person alive who does not have a need to confess." The request for penance and reparation for sins is identical to those of Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The predictions made by Our Lady at Fatima (warning of the threat of God-less Communism taking over the world) have now been recorded as facts in the annals of history. The many messges at Medjugorje stressed similar warnings. And the devastation followed, even reaching to within miles of the apparition site in Medjugorje itself. 

SIGNS AND WONDERS Signs and miracles have been very evident at Medjugorje. In those early days after June of 1981, when the Medjugorje parish was the scene of harassment and oppression by the Communist authorities, where the seers were hounded by the police, and where the parish priest was arrested and thrown into prison, the word "MIR" (Croatian for "Peace") appeared in the sky, witnessed by thousands. On the top of Mt. Krizevac, the highest mountain the area, which is located just behind St. James Church, the villagers erected a 30 foot concrete cross in 1933 to commemorate the 1900th year of Our Lord's death and resurrection. On numerous occasions, people have seen the cross pulsate with light or spin or surrounded by a great golden glow. A common occurrence, witnessed by many thousands, is seeing the sun change colors, spin, and become a silver disk pulsating in the sky. There have been hundreds of claims of physical healings - multiple sclerosis, malignancies, recovery of sight and hearing, cures from addictions. But the most important wonders have been the spiritual healings: the conversions, people changing their lives and reconciling with God and with each other. Countless thousands have suddenly found their faith and their God in Medjugorje. They come from all around the world.

THE SECRETS AND THE GREAT SIGN Our Lady told the children that she would impart ten secrets to all of them. Some of these secrets have to do with the world, some with the local parish, and some with the Church. Three of the visionaries have already received all ten secrets and no longer see Our Lady daily. The other three visionaries have received nine secrets and continue to have daily apparitions. Our Lady tells us not to preoccupy ourselves with thoughts of chastisements. She stated: "Now is the period of great grace and has been given to us for a time to pray and convert to God." The visionaries tell us that Our Lady promised she would leave a visible sign on the hill of the first apparitions in Medjugorje (Podbrdo) for all humanity. The sign will be miraculous in origin, visible and permanent (indestructible); it will be a testimony and cause for conversion among many unbelievers. The sign will be given after the apparitions cease, and it pertains to the third secret. The first two secrets will be warnings for the world to convert. However, Our Lady states we should not wait for the sign or warnings before we convert, for it may be too late. The time for conversion is now. This present period of grace and mercy is urgent and is a time of prayer and conversion. The visionary Mirjana has been instructed by Our Lady to tell the priest of her choice (she has chosen Fr. Petar Ljubicic, OFM) the conrtents of each successive secret ten days prior to its fulfillment. He is then to fast and pray with Mirjana for seven days, and then three days in advance, he will reveal the contents of the secret to the world. As intended, this arrangement will serve as a further proof of the genuineness of Our Lady's appearances in Medjugorje, and the urgent relevance for the world.

THE CHURCH'S INVESTIGATION Marian apparitions that have been approved by the Catholic Church (such as Lourdes and Fatima) have the following points in common: 1) Mary calls us back to God, a return to Jesus. 2) Mary re-affirms what is already in the Gospels and teachings with the Catholic faith. 3) Mary calls us to prayer and reparation, a message of the Gospels. Although Medjugorje is still under investigation, all these points are present there. Initially the local bishop of Mostar, Msgr. Zanic, strongly endorsed and believed in the apparitions, but then he became increasingly opposed to them. The original investigating commission, headed by Msgr. Zanic, was disbanded in May of 1986 upon orders of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. A new commission on a national level, under the direction of the Yugoslavian Bishops Conference, was then established. In 1990 they produced a document stating that they could prove nothing of a supernatural nature in Medjugorje, but that they also approved of the pastoral activity taking place there and invited pilgrims to continue to visit the site. In a Papal audience in June 1986, Pope John Paul II, when asked by 12 Italian bishops about Medjugorje, had this to say: "Let the people go to Medjugorje if they convert, pray, confess, do penance and fast." Within two years, while the investigation continued without resolution, the bishop of Mostar was replaced and the country was torn asunder by war.

THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES Initially, the civil authorities in this Communist state went to great lengths to try to stop the events taking place. They interrogated the seers, threatened the people and imprisoned the parish priest, Fr.Jozo Zovko. They were fearful of a political uprising. In the face of surging pilgrims pouring into Medjugorje and their own inability to stop the happenings, the government turned its attention to the economic benefits that were the results of literally millions of pilgrims traveling to their country, and they relaxed their restrictions. Ironically, the political uprising they initially feared was eventually brought to bear by their own hand, and while the former country of Yugoslavia was becoming a sea of devastation, the area of Medjugorje remained an "oasis of peace." Had Our Lady hinted at these historic events through her messages to the six visionaries during the preceding ten years? It would seem so. Repeatedly, she mentioned the need for "peace."

THE VISIONARIES

Marija Pavlovic Lunetti: Born April 1, 1965. Marija receives the monthly messages for the world from Our Lady. She has received nine secrets and has visions daily. She was married in 1993 and has four sons. The family resides in Italy. Marija was given the responsibility to pray for all the souls in purgatory.

 Ivanka Ivankovic Elez: Born June 21, 1966. Ivanka has received all ten secrets. She sees Our Lady annually on the anniversary of the apparitions. She is married, lives in the parish of Medjugorje and has three children. Her prayer mission from Our Lady is to pray for families.

Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo: Born Mary 18, 1965. A college graduate from the University of Sarajevo, she is married, lives in the parish of Medjugorje, and has two daughters. Mirjana has received all ten secrets and now sees Our Lady annually on her birthday and at special times of need. Our Lady's prayer mission for Mirjana is to pray for all unbelievers.

Ivan Dragicevic: Born May 25, 1965. Married to an American woman and now makes Boston, Mass. his home; they spend the summers in Medjugorje. They have three children. Ivan has nine secrets and continues to see Our Lady daily. His prayer mission is to pray for priests and the youth of the world.

Vicka Ivankovic: Born September 3, 1964. Just recently married, January 26, 2002, she and her new husband live in the parish of Medjugorje. Vicka has nine secrets and sees Our Lady daily.  They have two children Sophia Maria, and their newborn Anton.  Our Lady asked for her to pray for the sick.