On 1st October 2008, four of us – all ladies from All Saints Parish in Thirsk, joined 18 others from the Middlesbrough Diocese on a coach bound for Manchester Airport. We flew to Split, Croatia, en route to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzogovnia under the auspices of Medjugorje Peace Tours. After a two and a half hour flight, we transferred to a coach for a further two and a half hour journey to Medjugorje, arriving around midnight. We were escorted to Jozo’s house where we stayed for a week. There are no hotels in Medjugorje, pilgrims stay in one of 400 houses in the village – totalling 1600 beds throughout. Many pilgrims stay in hotels outside the village.
Our hosts, Jozo and his wife, Drajina, ensured our stay was comfortable and provided us with breakfast each morning after prayers and an evening meal at 4pm each day. Rather early, but it was so that we could attend the evening services which started at 5pm.
We were introduced to our guides, Sylvija and Slavica, who planned our programme from day to day and came each evening to see us, and they accompanied us on our trips. They were delightful and very knowledgeable.
The focal point for us was the church, St James (the patron saint of pilgrims) only five minutes away. The parish was founded in 1896 by the Franciscans. The present church built in 1969 – a most impressive building, beautiful and spacious – a centre for prayer and parishioners and pilgrims (6 million a year). Seating arrangements and the number of confessionals have increased since the apparitions started in March 1981. The church and its precincts were paced for every service. Pilgrims come from many countries, mainly from Europe and America, so the services are done in several languages. We went to the 10am English Mass most mornings and the evening services in whatever language, starting at 5pm with the Rosary, followed by Mass, the blessing of holy objects (often our purchases), healing prayers and an hour of adoration. After morning Mass, we would trawl the dozens of shops selling religious objects and holy books before having a light lunch in one of the many restaurants (very reasonable prices) and always welcoming.
Within the precincts of the church was a splendid statue of the Queen of Peace, a meeting point and venue for private prayer. There were about 25 confessionals in a row behind the church overlooked by a statue of the Capuchin confessor St Louis Mandic. Confessions were heard in many languages and there were always queues.
Also in the precincts were the parish office and an Adoration Chapel. To the west was a life size crucifix surrounded by a fountain, the only place one could light votive candles, a peaceful place for prayer and meditation.
Alongside the church were the mysteries of light, a series of mosaic tableaux, lit up at night, depicting events in Christ’s life. We all found these deeply spiritual as we moved along them reciting the Rosary.
These led to a huge statue of the risen Christ set on a marble circle surrounded by the Stations of the Cross. The leg of Our Lord periodically ëweeps’ oil which people collect in hanky-sized cloths, another place always occupied by pilgrims in prayer.
A little further on is the grave of Fr Slavka Barbaric who for many years was Spiritual Adviser to the visionaries. He was a remarkable, much loved man who died suddenly near the top of Mount Krezevak whilst doing the Stations of the Cross in November 2000 at the age of 56.
Between attending services and our devotional exercises our guides took us to many interesting places.
One afternoon we climbed Apparition Hill overlooking Podbrodo, Bitjakovki, a very rocky climb, stopping periodically to say a decade of the Rosary marked by bronze reliefs illustrating each decade created by a Florentine artist, Carmelio Prizzolli. The hill is so called because the visionaries claim this is where they have experienced many of their apparitions of Our Lady. Half way up the hill is a wooden cross where Our Lady first gave her message for the world and at the base of this hill is a blue cross, the actual point where many of the apparitions occurred. Ivan, one of the visionaries always prays here when he comes to Medjugorje.
This climb was a modest one compared to the one we made later in the week up Mount Krezevak (Cross Mountain – 1,300 metres), a very rocky, quite treacherous terrain which required some tricky footwork, on a very hot day! We got some respite with periodic stops at the bronze reliefs of the Stations of the Cross on the way up. Near the top we came to a memorial at the spot where Fr Slavico died. Then after three and half hours we reached the summit, where a huge white cross stands (8 metres high). It was erected by the villagers in 1933 to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of Christ’s death. The views from the top were magnificent making our efforts all worthwhile. After a time of prayer we made our way down, which took about an hour – somewhat exhausted – we were in awe of those who had climbed bare-footed.
Another day we visited the Oasis of Peace where there is a religious community, and a very intriguing little chapel. Then we went to the Mothers’ Village to the orphanage. We had a talk by one of their carers. There are currently 56 orphans, but we did not meet any of them. There is also a refuge for disadvantaged mothers-to-be. Fr Slavko was greatly involved in founding the Mothers’ Village.
We went on to the Cenacolo community – a drug rehabilitation centre founded by Sr Elvira. We heard testimonies from two of the residents – one from America, the other from Ireland, who were most enlightening about their journeys to recovery from their addictions. Our guides also took us on a bus trip to Tihlyona to the Church of St Elijah. We had to meet Fr Jozo, the parish priest, but unfortunately he had been called away. He had been parish priest in Medjugorje for many years and a spiritual guide to the visionaries. Our own spiritual director celebrated Mass for us. We were advised by our guide about various talks which took place during our weeks stay and some of us went to inspiring talks given by Fr Danke, a Franciscan, and Mr Joe Dalton, an Irish charismatic who was staying in Medjugorje at the time.
Many of us felt the highlight of our visits were audiences with two of the visionaries, Marija and Vidka. There is a selection process for these events and we were invited to attend their testimonies. Marija held hers in Cenacolo in a huge stadium. There were about 3,000 pilgrims there and many more outside listening through the windows. She told us, through an interpreter, about her apparitions since 1981 – once daily, now only on her birthday and the 25th of each month. Each of the visionaries have been given 10 secrets by Our Lady except Marija who has one more to come.
Vidka gave her talk from the steps of the house she used to live in – now occupied by other family members. About 1,000 pilgrims had been invited. Early in the morning they lined the winding road along the front of the house. She reiterated the messages from the Queen of Peace for the world – to pray for peace, pray for unbelievers, to pray the Rosary, to receive the Eucharist, read the Bible daily, got to monthly Confession and fast on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week.
On our last morning we thanked our hosts and guides, collected our group photos, and copies of a DVD made of our pilgrimage and departed for the airport. We stopped off in Vepric, a most beautiful and peaceful sanctuary set in the mountains, where there is a natural cave dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, founded in 1908, surrounded by several statues most notably one of St Michael the Archangel. We had our final Mass there celebrated by our spiritual director who had accompanied us on our trip and to whom we owe much thanks for the care took of during our stay. It was a fitting end to a fruitful and spiritually uplifting journey.
We owe a big thanks too, to our leader Marie Bedingfield, who has been to Medjugorje many times. Nothing was too much trouble to ensure our comfort, she was always concerned for us.
The 22 of us had bonded on our pilgrimage, lasting friendships were formed. Some of the group had been several times before and will without doubt be going again, as will many of us who had been for the first time.
Jenny Tomalin-Reeves