Cenacolo Community

The sign to the Cenacolo Community is written in Italian since Mother Elvira is an Italian nun who founded the first Cenacolo in Italy.  This facility is in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina, but is written in Italian, nonetheless.

A Loving Mother

Image of Mother Elvira and her
message written in three languages:
Italian, Croatian, and English.

   We went to Mass at 10 o'clock this morning, as we do most mornings. Later that afternoon we took a bus to the Cenacolo Community around 1:15 P.M.  The Medjugorje Cenacolo Community was established by an Italian nun named Sister Elvira who is often referred to as Mother Elvira. Perhaps the reason that she is frequently called "Mother" Elvira is due to the genuine compassion and concern that she extends to all those who come to her facilities, just like a loving mother with open arms.  Her message to all those who enter the residential community is, "True liberty is living the faith, it's letting the Holy Spirit, which lives within us, act; it's letting it free us from the slavery of sin, from the prison, and from the chains that come from our mind that suffocate our conscience.  Let God enter and live within you, because what you are seeking is Him."

Stone near the entrance to the residence at Comunita Cenacolo is written in Italian and reads "Field of Life".  The word "Medjugorje" is written across the center of the stone.  You will notice that there is no "j" after the "d" because the "dj" sound is written with a line through the D in Croatian to represent that sound. 

An inscription on the wall in the
auditorium  of Comunita Cenacolo is
written in Italian.  It reads
"Holy Mother of God, pray for us".

   I am not certain when the Medjugorje community was opened, but the first Comunita Cenacolo was opened in Italy in 1983.  Mother Elvira felt a calling and saw a need to help the modern poor:  the disillusioned youth who lived a desperate and empty life and relied on alcohol and substance abuse to find fulfillment and meaning in their lives.  Her approach to turning around the lives of these young people was a simple, disciplined, family style of life based upon St. Benedict's rule of prayer and work ("ora et labora").

Young men in the program at
Comunita Cenacolo speak to
the pilgrims of their continued
recovery from substance abuse.

   Two young men spoke to us about their successes and struggles to live an addiction-free life.  One was from Boston, the other was from Serbia. They each told us their personal stories to overcome drugs and alcohol.  The young men stated that no one made them stay, but that they were inspired by the others around them in the community, including Mother Elvira who prayed novenas on their behalf.  The young man from Boston recalled seeing other young men kneeling in the chapel reciting the rosary. They were experiencing a serenity and a purpose that he didn't have at that time.  He also told us how Mother Elvira renewed the family and brought support, love, healing, faith, and an encounter with Christ and the Blessed Mother.  These were experiences which he had not encountered during his many years of substance abuse. Both men characterized their stay at Comunita Cenacolo with true friendship, sacrifice, and faith in Christ and the Blessed Mother.

Pilgrims listen to the young men's testimonials.

   The spirituality at Comunita Cenacolo is Christ and Marian-centered.  The young men explained how the day begins at 6 o'clock in the morning with the recitation of the rosary in the chapel.  All members also have jobs in the community after breakfast.  These responsibilities include making bread, cleaning the house, doing masonry work, gardening, woodworking, making rosaries, etc.  According to the young men, by the end of the day, much has been accomplished, much has been learned, the rosary has been recited, and the Gospel
has been shared.

   I've read that there are several Comunita Cenacolo initiatives all over the world.  The success rate of the young men or young women entering the community houses that Mother Elvira has set up is astonishing!  93% of those going through the Comunita Cenacolo program never abuse drugs and alcohol again.

   There was no Adoration this evening so some pilgrims climbed up Apparition Hill again, others went to confession, still others walked over to the Risen Christ.  Some went to the Croatian Mass to pray.

Sr. Emmanuel of Medjugorje and an Orphanage

Amazing Sister Emmanuel

Sister Emmanuel speaking to us
in Italian.

   Sister Emmanuel is an energetic French nun with a captivating smile who came to Medjugorje in 1989. She has been promoting Mary's messages, miracles, and happenings in the village through books, audios, videos, TV interviews, newsletters, and speaking engagements all over the world.  Sister Emmanuel has an unwavering belief in the appearances and messages of Our Lady to the visionaries who continue to receive messages from Our Blessed Mother even to this day.

Italians who came to hear
Sister Emmanuel.

A large group of Italians and our group gathered in a wooded area to hear Sister Emmanuel speak about Our Blessed Mother's message to us.  Sister Emmanuel told us that Mary is asking us to renew our prayer life and unite it with Her Son to enlighten our souls.  Mary wants us to be apostles of love and pray for our priests so that they may continue to remain close to Her.  When our priests are close to Mary, they become tools of God.  Mary keeps all of us safe through Her motherly love and Her blessings.

After Sister Emmanuel's speech, books and CD's were available for purchase at very reasonable prices. Priests were allowed to choose any books and CD's without charge.

Mass at an Orphanage Chapel

Our priests after Mass.

   We returned to our bus and continued on to a nearby orphanage where we heard Vicka two days earlier. We gathered in the chapel at the orphanage for Sunday Mass.  Our three priests concelebrated Mass.  Roza, our Croatian hostess, her mother, and a nun who works at the orphanage joined us for Mass. Roza told us a story about Sister Sofa, a relative whose life-size image is sculpted in bronze in front of the chapel. Reportedly, an Italian woman who was unable to conceive for 20 years, came to Medjugorje.  This woman had blisters on her body and had gone to a local pharmacy for a remedy.  A nun who was standing behind her took the woman by the hand and led her to the Risen Christ, rubbed the oil dripping from the sculpture all over this woman's sores, and particularly on her stomach.  Shortly thereafter, this woman conceived and 9 months later delivered her first baby.  The Italian woman identified the nun who had taken her by the hand as Sister Sofa, but Sister Sofa had been dead for several years.  It was at this point that the woman realized that this nun must have appeared to her to help her experience a miracle.  Many miracles take place in Medjugorje according to Roza.

Roza in front of sculpture

 

Sculpture of Sr. Sofa

    Individual pilgrims presented an  assortment of gifts for the orphans and  nursing home residents.  I brought a  variety of art materials so orphans of  all ages could use them.  I purchased  friendship pins for the elderly nursing  home residents. The friendship pins  displayed the Croatian and U. S. flags  crossed in kinship.  I hope the pins  bring smiles to their faces and that they  realize that someone across the ocean is thinking about them and praying for them.
   Croatians are very family oriented people, so to find elderly people in nursing homes, is rather unusual. Extended families are the norm. Elderly parents normally reside with one of their children.  I suspect that these elderly residents are a casualty of the past civil wars in the region.

Evening Prayer

   There was no Adoration this evening so we had Evening Prayer in a building near Sister Emmanuel's place. We recited the rosary and then shared how the "five stones" are working in our lives.  I became very emotional as I recalled the faith, daily prayers, daily Mass and family rosary that my parents brought us up with.  I recalled stopping whatever we were doing at noon when we heard the Angelus bells ringing from our parish church in Croatia or parish church in Columbus.  My tears thanked God for the compassionate and faith-filled parents I was fortunate to have in my life.  Then each of us had an opportunity to visit privately with one of our three priests and receive a blessing from them.  When individual visits were complete, the priests asked us (the pilgrims) to pray over them (the priests) and bless them.

The lightening struck the road near this area.

   As we headed back to our hotel.  Rain fell with a frenzy.  It was hard to keep dry even with an umbrella.  Thunder and lightening abruptly interrupted the downpour.  Some of us hurried along trying to get back to our hotel while others stopped at a coffee shop in an attempt to wait out the storm.  Two other pilgrims and I witnessed lightening strike a mere ten feet in front of us as we neared our hotel.  After a few shrill screams, we quickly picked up the pace and continued on to our hotel, soaked from head to foot.

   

Choir and an Afternoon with a Visionary

 

The Spotlight is on Our Group

   We arrived early at St. James Church this morning in order to work out the details for Mass.  Our group was asked to be the choir today.  Rather than gather in pews, we found seats on the risers off to the left of the main altar. Pilgrims from our group volunteered as readers, barring the doors, taking up the collection, and as cantors.  I was one of those taking up the collection.  Although we began passing the collection baskets as soon after the petitions were read, most of us only got through half the congregation before we heard the Consecration bells ringing.  We stopped wherever we were and knelt in the aisles, facing the altar, until the final words of the Consecration were spoken and then resumed our collection.  Once all of the collection baskets traveled through the congregation, we brought them forward and emptied them into a larger basket and returned to our places in the choir.  During the reflection portion after Communion, two men with beautiful, powerful voices sang the "Panis Angelicus", partly solo and partly in harmony.  One of the men was a tenor from Boston; the other was from Los Angeles.  

Side altar dedicated to Our Lady of
Medjugorje at St. James Church.

   There were several people who volunteered to bar the doors.  Among the "door guardians" was a petite lady from Michigan.  She made sure that the doors were barred when the church had reached its seating and standing capacity and then made sure the bars were taken off at the end of Mass to allow new pilgrims to enter the sanctuary.  We referred to Nanette as "Mighty Mouse" after her stint as "door guardian".  The main celebrant at Mass was our own Fr. Joe.  There were perhaps two or three dozen more English-speaking priests who concelebrated Mass with him.  Fr. Joe's homily centered around our visit to Medjugorje.  He asked all of us to reflect upon the reasons we were here.  Why did we make this journey?  He gave us a lot to think about.

Daily Confessions

   One thing that I have seen every day while here in Medjugorje is the number of priests hearing confessions. There are about a dozen confessionals a few yards to the left side of the the church's main entrance. These closed-door confessionals display a sign on the door indicating the language of the priest hearing the confessions.  A priest picks up the sign with his language and slips it into a slot that tells penitents what language he is hearing confessions. And, as seen to the right, when all the closed-door confessionals are taken, priests set up on empty benches, each with the name of his native tongue displayed on the bench for easy identification.  I went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation before leaving for Medjugorje so it was only a few days since my last confession.  We were encouraged, though, to go to Penance while in Medjugorje.  I reviewed the few days that we were in this Balkan country and decided to find an English-speaking priest.  There were probably two or three dozen priests from various English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, England, and Australia who could have heard my confession.  The penitent lines for all the languages were always long so I did not move away from my line.  You can imagine my surprise when it was my turn to enter the confessional and I found the priest that I had gone to confession just a few days ago back home was the same priest I was now facing.  As I got comfortable in my chair, before I began my confession, I said to the priest, "Father, I hope you don't mind a frequent flier!"  He just smiled.

Marija Speaks to Us

   This afternoon we returned to St. James Church, but this time to the outdoor area.  Marija, another one of the six visionaries, spoke to us in Italian.  Her interpreter, Mickey, translated her words into Croatian.

Pilgrims came to hear Marija.

Marija with interpreter Mickey.

If you did not speak or understand either language, you could purchase a radio at the Franciscan bookstore for seven dollars and tune in to a certain frequency to hear the message translated into English.  Marija began with prayer and invited all of us to become closer to Our Blessed Mother. She told us how she and the other visionaries were very afraid in the very beginning, but Mary's joy and the prayers that came from their hearts helped them overcome their fears. Marija expressed Our Lady's wishes for all of us to get closer to Her Son Jesus.  If we fall in love with God and pray every day, we will increase our faith.  Marija ended her message by calling all of us to prayer and personal conversion by putting God first in our lives and praying daily.

Evening Adoration

Adoration with big screen so everyone
can see Jesus in the monstrance.

Billboard of visionaries and Father Vasilj.

    Later that evening after supper we went to Adoration which began at 9 o'clock.  I genuinely look forward to Adoration each evening.  It is the most wonderful experience! There is peace and such an extraordinary closeness to God here.  It reminds me of those times that our family attended Adoration, rosary and Benediction.
   Adoration in Medjugorje concludes just as I recall from my childhood ... with Benediction and the singing of "Tantum Ergo". However, here in Medjugorje, you also hear the Medjugorje song sung to Mary during Adoration: "Majci Kralijici Mira" which translates into English as "To the Mother and Queen of Peace".  It is a song written by Father Stanko Vasilij.  Likewise, you find yourself joining thousands of other voices in singing "Zdravo kralijice mira/ Zdravo Majko ljubavi/ Zdravo, zdravo, zdravo Marijo/ Zdravo, zdravo, zdravo Marijo" ("Hail Queen of Peace/ Hail Mother of Love/ Hail, hail, hail Mary/ Hail, hail, hail Mary") as you are leaving the outdoor Adoration area. Your heart not only fills with peace, but with great joy, as well. You feel unconditionally loved.

Vicka, Cross Mountain, and Ukrainian Angels

 

Vicka Speaks to Us

   We arose very early this morning in order to get an early breakfast and take a bus ride to an orphanage. We arrived at the orphanage around 7 A.M.  We were near the front of the line in an area that Vicka, one of the visionaries, was to speak to us from a porch.  A group of Italians, numbering perhaps in the dozens were ahead of us.  We stood quietly waiting for Vicka as more and more people assembled to hear her messages from Mary.  But before Vicka spoke to us, she blessed all the priests from different countries who had gathered inside the orphanage.  Vicka placed her hand over each priest individually and blessed each one before coming out to the porch.  Fr. Adam told us that her grip was very strong ... much stronger than what he had expected from a thin, frail woman.
 

Priests leading pilgrims in reciting the rosary.

    As we waited for Vicka to appear, a number of priests came out to the porch after receiving their blessing from Vicka and began reciting the rosary in English.  Then an Italian priest joined them and recited a decade of the rosary in Italian.  All four mysteries, the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries were recited in both English and Italian, alternating between decades for English-speaking and Italian-speaking pilgrims.  Some mysteries were recited more than once.  (I have found that pilgrims here pray together whenever they are waiting.  That sure beats getting upset and complaining!).
   We kept praying the rosary until Vicka finally appeared on the porch with her interpreter.  She had a glowing smile that exuded compassion and peace.  She smiled the entire time she spoke and waved to individuals in the crowd who waved to her.  Through her interpreter she told us that Mary wanted us to pray together as a family and recite the rosary daily.  Mary has also asked us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays to bring others to her Son.  Other words Vicka used in speaking to us were "peace", "conversion", and "compassion".  Vicka emphasized the importance of Mass.  It is at Mass that the living Jesus is among us.

Pilgrims gaze skyward and take photos.

   As Vicka spoke I noticed some of the Italians in front of me gazing skyward, pointing, and gasping.  As I looked up into the sky in the same direction I understood their amazement.  Clouds had formed a

Cross appeared in the sky.

Vicka and her interpreter Mickey.

Italian pilgrims in front of me.

cross over the area where Vicka was speaking.  Vicka proceeded to talk to us and  told us that satan wanted to  distract us.  She advised us that someone would probably        scream  or cause some kind of        commotion/disturbance, but we      were to ignore all distractions.        Several minutes later, right in          front of me, a young Italian             woman in her twenties fainted.       Her frantic mother called out           loudly and uncontrollably to her       husband Marco for help.  The other Italian pilgrims in front of me "shushed" her in an attempt to follow Vicka's directive to stay focused and silent.  Finally, the interpreter left the porch and came through several rows of people, picked up the young woman and took her inside.  Her parents, the mother still frantic, followed in through a side door. Vicka continued to speak to us for several more minutes before disappearing back into the orphanage.

Krizevac and My Ukrainian Angels 

   We returned to our hotel and later went to Cross Mountain.  Some walked to Krizevac while a few others took a cab.  I arrived at Krizevac before several of the other pilgrims in our group so I decided to begin the Stations of the Cross on my own.  I had led my second graders on the Stations of the Cross for many years so I was comfortable doing them on my own.

Rocky terrain we climbed.

The First Station

   I headed up this steep, rocky incline looking for the First Station where Jesus is condemned to death.  It didn't take too long to find it, but it seemed as if the other stations were at least a mile apart.  I continued on but a few times I mistakenly took a trail that did not lead to the next station so it probably took me longer to get to the top of Krizevac than most people.  Each station was beautifully carved to help pilgrims with their spiritual reflections.  They were numbered with Roman numerals. Some were adorned with pilgrims'

Pilgrims leave requests at stations.

petitions, prayer cards, and rosaries.  The views were sacred and uplifting.

A view near the top of Krizevac.

I found that coming down Krizevac without a walking stick and a purse in one hand and my camera in the other hand was a little more treacherous and trickier than what I had anticipated.  I decided to go down the same side of the mountain that I had climbed up since I would have a better idea of where I was should I not find any of my fellow pilgrims at the bottom of the mountain.  Around the 13th Station, I had trouble navigating the big drops from one giant rock to the next without a walking stick.  Three Ukrainian teenage girls and a Ukrainian nun were about six feet behind me.

My Ukrainian guardian angels ... the nun and the dark-haired woman are twin sisters. The third teen had already gone down to the street level when this photo was taken.

60 ton cross atop Cross Mountain.

   They saw my precarious situation with the rocks and said something to me in Ukrainian but I could only understand one or two words they spoke so I responded in Croatian that I didn't understand what they were saying.  One of the Ukrainian teens who spoke English asked me if I spoke English.  When I responded that I did, the nun began to ask me a whole host of questions as the young girl interpreted both the nun's questions and all of my answers.  They wanted to know where I was from and where was the rest of my group.  I answered that I had come up the mountain alone.  The nun chastised me and said that it was too dangerous to come alone.  She took one arm and had one of the young girls go ahead of us so that the teen could carry my camera, take my hand and help me down this huge drop. Another member in the group offered to carry my purse so my hands could be free. I said a brief prayer to myself, "Jesus, I trust in You," and I allowed them to help me.  The young nun held onto my arm the entire way down.  A couple of times when I tried to secretly pull my arm away, she took a firmer hold, not wanting to lose me.  They helped me down the mountain and it seemed as if I was gliding on air. The walk down from the point when the young nun took my arm until we reached the bottom seemed so effortless.  They truly were my Ukrainian angels!

Flowers peek through the crevices of a rock on Cross Mountain (Krizevac).

Prayers and Visit to a Cemetery

Daily Mass

   We walked to St. James Church for the 10 o'clock English Mass this morning.  More than two dozen English speaking priests concelebrated the Mass.  A priest from the Buffalo, New York diocese was the principal celebrant.  During his homily he told of a story of a young man who approached him while he was kneeling and praying at Cross Mountain (Krizevac).  The young man relayed a tragic story of an unloving father who abandoned him and his mother.  He continued on by saying that his mother had died and that he had hurt his knee in a motorcycle accident.  The priest from Buffalo offered to anoint the young man's knee with holy oil which he always carried with him.  The young man became indignant saying that nine other priests had offered to do the same thing.  What he wanted was money.  The priest responded by telling him that he should have listened to the other nine priests who wanted to bless him and pray for him.  I think we all got the message from this homily.

The 5th Luminous Mystery in mosaic.

Outdoor Mysteries of the Rosary

   After Mass we walked over to an area behind the outdoor Mass section and prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary.  The rosary was led by Father Joe.  This area has beautiful mosaics depicting the four different mysteries of the rosary ... the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries. Each decade of each mystery is a brief walk from decade to decade, making it both visually and spiritually uplifting. 

Title of mosaic in Croatian and Latin.

   The sun was shining and the day was hot.  Some pilgrims found refuge under a small tree near each mosaic.  I decided to "tough it out" since there was no more room under the tree.  I did my best not to think about the heat, but to focus on the prayers and meditations.  When we were finished reciting the Luminous mysteries of the rosary, I took a photo of the 5th Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist, because I will be preparing students for their First Eucharist this school year. You will notice that the inscription of the 5th Luminous Mystery is written in both Croatian and Latin (see photo at right).  Each mosaic's inscription is written in both these languages.  You might recall that at one point in world history, Latin was a universal language.

The Risen Christ

   Next, we walked over to the towering Risen Christ.  At first sight, it looks like it should be named "The Crucifixion"; however, the sculpture depicts Christ leaving the cross, hence it's name.  Many pilgrims stop here because of an unusual phenomenon.  An unidentifiable oil oozes out of the

A pilgrim wipes the oil.

Fathers Joe and Adam blessing pilgrims.

sculpture.  The Catholic church has had it tested, but no one can seem to identify it.  People bring hankies to wipe the oil to take home with them as a blessing and a reminder that with God all things are possible.  We sat on the benches and were encouraged to pour out our burdens and share them with the group.  Prayer requests were also received by the group at this site.  When we were finished, Fr. Adam and Fr. Joe met us at the entrance of the site where we formed two lines to be blessed by the priests.  After Fr. Adam blessed me, I walked farther out and got my camera ready to take a picture of the rest of our group receiving their blessing when I suddenly noticed that pilgrims from other groups, including nuns who were strangers to us, lined up for a blessing.  The photo above shows just the beginning of two small lines that swelled as pilgrims became aware of the blessings.  The priest, as a spiritual leader, is held in high regard here.

Father Slavko Barbaric

   From the Risen Christ, we walked 15 - 20 minutes further to the Medjugorje cemetery where Father (Fra) Slavko Barbaric is buried.  Fra Slavko, a Franciscan priest, was sent

Fra Slavko's grave with flowers.

to Medjugorje in 1983 by the Franciscans to make a psychological assessment of the six young visionaries.  He was a well qualified psychotherapist with a doctoral degree in religious pedagogy from the University of Freiburg, Germany.  Fra Slavko's impeccable qualifications as a clinical psychologist had many hoping that he would put an end  to the controversy regarding what a group of six young seers were claiming to have experienced on a hill named Podbrdo, what has come to be known as Apparition Hill.  However, Fra Slavko was so convinced of the visionaries' authenticity that he became their spiritual director and a spiritual counselor/friend to millions of pilgrims who visited Medjugorje.  He died on November 24, 2000 of a heart attack on Krizevac (Cross Mountain) after leading 70 pilgrims on the Way of the Cross.  Father Barbaric was fluent in his native Croatian, as well as, English, German, French, and Spanish.  Krizevac, although in the distance, overlooks the Medjugorje cemetery.

  If you would like to see a brief interview with Fra Slavko Barbaric, click on the arrow above.

Apparition Hill, Adoration, and a Story

View outside my hotel window.

Crkva Sveti Jakov

   This morning I awoke with a severe headache and I normally don't get headaches.  Perhaps it's due to not being able to get a good night's rest the past two nights.  Besides that, my feet were sore from standing on concrete for three hours to see the Glowing Virgin. I showered and got dressed, but I skipped breakfast and missed Mass.  As much as I wanted to attend Mass, I decided to lay back down for some much needed rest while my fellow travelers went to Mass and walked around the villages of Bijakovici and Medjugorje.


Main altar at St. James Church. 

Main entrance to St. James Church.

Side view of St. James Church.

   The pilgrims in our group learned about Medjugorje and St. James Church (Crkva Sveti Jakov) before going up Apparition Hill (Crnica Broda or Podbrdo).  I'm not sure what new information they garnered, but I will tell you what I know about the church and the town's history. The original Crkva Sveti Jakov was built in 1892 across the street from the present day church. The current church was consecrated in 1969.  When the church was built, many questioned the wisdom of such a large church for so few Roman Catholic families living in the Hercegovina region of Medjugorje and four other neighboring villages.  Little did they know that years later they would have to bar the doors between Masses to accommodate all the pilgrims from around the world for daily Masses.
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Mary's Garden near main entrance to church.

History of Cross Mountain

   Not far from the church is Cross Mountain (Krizevac) where a cross towers nearly 40 feet into the mountain air at the apex of this natural elevation.  The concrete cross was completed in 1934 along with the Stations of the Cross (Krizni Put).  Pope Pius XI had declared the previous year, 1933, a Holy Year which commemorated the 1900th anniversary of the Lord's death on the cross.  The parishioners of St. James Church wanted to construct an edifice for their descendants in memory of Christ's walk up Golgotha as a testament to their faith in their Redeemer.  The parishioners carried all their materials up Cross Mountain:  cement, water, sand, tools, etc. during a bitterly cold winter.  Before the erection of the concrete cross, Medjugorje had been plagued with hailstorms that nearly destroyed the villagers' crops and livelihood in an already impoverished environment.  But since the erection of the 60 ton cross in March 1934, the hailstorms have ceased and none have been reported in the area since that time.  Amazing!   

Medjugorje Region and Atrocities

Portrait hangs in Mir Hotel dining hall. 

   Mary's first apparition to six young children on Apparition Hill was in 1981, shortly after the 40th anniversary of the atrocities committed by the Ustasi, a terrorist organization that was  responsible for burying alive seven Serbian monks from a nearby monastery during WWII and massacring 559 unarmed Serbian Orthodox civilians as well as throwing an additional 1300 Serbs into a natural pit two months later.  In addition to those atrocities, 66 Catholic Franciscan priests (in the photo to the right) from the Hercegovina region of Bosnia, of which Medjugorje is a part, were murdered by the Communists from May 1942 until June 1945.  Some of the priests were burned in front of their monastery, others were shot.
   When Mary appeared to the six children in 1981, Medjugorje was part of Communist Yugoslavia. The parish priest at the time of the apparition, Fr. Jozo Zovko, was arrested that same year by the Communist government and sentenced to three and a half years of imprisonment and forced labor. The government alleged that he was participating in a nationalistic plot.  It was only after Amnesty International's appeals for his release that his sentence was reduced to one and a half years and then set free.
   According to what I remember of  the 1995 Dayton Accord Agreement, Medjugorje was established as an autonomous region so no ethnic group could claim it.  



Adoration Chapel next to St. James Church.

Back to St. James

   In the afternoon, after lunch, Linda, a fellow pilgrim and I decided not to attempt the climb up Apparition Hill.  Linda had recent knee surgery and I did not want to attempt the climb after experiencing the headache and sore feet I had this morning.  My feet were still sore from standing on the concrete the night before.  I asked Linda if she wanted to join me for a visit to the Adoration Chapel next to St. James Church.  She agreed.  It was what adoration should be ... a quiet and prayerful visit with Jesus.


Typical kneelers of churches in Europe.
St. James has hard wooden kneelers.

    Later Linda and I went to the Croatian rosary followed by the Croatian Mass at the church. I pulled my rosary out of my pocket (I always carry a rosary somewhere on me) and joined in the responses to the prayers.  I whispered to Linda the prayers we were saying in Croatian so she could say them to herself in English. During Mass I told Linda which part of the liturgy we were at and the prayers we were saying so she would know when to sit, stand, or kneel.  We noticed that we heard a voice but we didn't see a priest at the altar. We continued to stay at this "priestless" Mass until after the homily when we decided to leave since we were certain that there wasn't anyone there to distribute Communion.  Later we found out that the Mass had been said outdoors and that the audio portion was being piped into the church.  That's why we heard the Mass but didn't see a priest at the altar.


View from front of church facing the business area.

   Linda and I decided to visit a shop across the street from St. James Church after we left.  We were looking for postcards and stamps.  We were in luck!  The saleswoman, however, appeared a little indifferent.  It seemed as if the transaction was a real chore for her and she wanted to be elsewhere.  Had she had a different attitude, I might have bought something else.  Perhaps I should have spoken to her in Croatian.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Evening Adoration

   After supper we  headed to  Adoration in the  outdoor area  behind St. James  Church.  It began at  9 P.M. and lasted an  hour.  It was AMAZING!  All the seats were filled.  I experienced peace and tranquility from heaven.

Pilgrims at evening Adoration.

   There were thousands present, some of whom were kneeling with one or both knees on a concrete pavement.  The prayers and songs were in many languages including Croatian, English, Italian, German, French, and what sounded like Polish.  The faith and reverence of these people was inspiring.  During parts of the Adoration it would become very quiet ... so quiet you heard nothing but silence.  I heard neither the sounds of crickets, nor birds, nor even the sounds of the humans present there.  Adoration concluded with Benediction and the refrain "Ave, Ave, Ave Maria" sung by people from all nations.  The singing in unison was incredible.  If being in this presence didn't change you, then nothing could alter your heart.

Family shops along the way.

Road from hotel to church.

 Irma, another fellow pilgrim, accompanied  me back to the hotel after Adoration.  We  walked arm in arm. That's what friends  do in Croatia.  She told me about a  previous pilgrimage experience to  Medjugorje.  A pilgrim had gone missing  after what was suppose to be just a brief  walk.  The man's wife called the local  police but they couldn't find him even  after searching until 2 or 3 A.M.  They  told her to go to sleep and that they  would resume their search again in the morning.  The following morning the gentleman appeared back at the hotel safe and sound and relayed his incredible story.  It had become dark when he had gotten lost in the countryside.  A Bosnian farmer and his family who didn't speak English used gestures to invite him to eat with them and stay overnight.  The pilgrim was frightened thinking that if he stayed the family would rob him; however, he had little choice since he didn't know where he was nor how to get back to the hotel.  The Bosnian countryside becomes pitch black unless the sky is clear with the stars' and moon's glow. There is no electricity along the country roads in Bosnia. The only lights to guide you come from the sky, if you're lucky enough to have a clear night. Imagine the pilgrim's relief and exhilaration when at daybreak the family served him a hearty breakfast and his money was still in tact.  After breakfast, the kind family pointed out the road leading back to Medjugorje.  This pilgrim gentleman had found not robbers, but good and holy people. These angel-like gestures are the typical kindnesses you will encounter from the Bosnians and Croats.

Zoran Grizelj and the Glowing Virgin

Zoran Grizelj's photo when the lights were turned off.

Inside Vicka's Childhood Home 

    It was nearly midnight when the young Croatian teen counted us off (Nancy, Stephen, Mary Grace, Lodie, Michelle and me) so we could enter Vicka's childhood home.

Pilgrims wait to enter Vicka's
 former home.

We climbed six or seven very steep steps in a single file line. When we entered the house we lined up against a wall in order to allow the previous group to exit the room and house.  Once we were inside this small room housing the large concrete statue of Mary, we were instructed to line up against the back wall and make another row of people in front of the people in the back row.  We were told to get our cameras ready because we'd only have a fraction of a second to take a photo before the next group was allowed in and we would have to leave.  All of us had our cameras ready.  They turned off the lights for perhaps two seconds and we could see the green glow. Cameras went off and then the lights came back on.  We were lead out of the house the same way we came in except we took a second set of steps to get out to the road.

Notice slight green glow on statue even with lights turned on. 

Meeting Zoran Grizelj

Comparing our blank pictures

   When we had assembled as a group on the road, I examined my photo more closely and noticed that particular frame was blank.  I asked my fellow pilgrims if they had anything on their cameras.  We were surprised to learn that all of our photos were blank.
   We stood there comparing blank photos and expressing our amazement when a gentleman with a very professional looking camera strolled over to us and scrolled through his digital camera to show us his photo of the Virgin with the green glow.  I immediately asked him if he would e-mail it to me.  He answered, "No."  I was fine with that because with the equipment he was carrying, he obviously was a professional photographer and this was his livelihood.  He said something else and I thought that I detected a German accent.  I proceeded to ask him if he was from Germany since I had been there on two study tours.  He told me that he was not German but from the local area.  I continued by speaking to him in Croatian.  I told him that I was born in Valun on the island Cres.  He was familiar with the island and his eyes lit up.  We spoke for just a while longer in Croatian.  This had been a long day for the other pilgrims and me.  It was our first day in Medjugorje and now it was well past midnight.  He handed me his business card and said, "In two days."  I was ecstatic!  I wrote down my e-mail, gave it to him, and told him I would post his photo of the glowing Virgin on my blog with all of his contact information so others could contact him if they wanted a copy of the Glowing Virgin.

The rest of the group:  Mary Grace and Lodie

All the photos above were taken by Zoran Grizelj.  If you would like a copy of the Glowing Virgin or would like to get in contact with him, you can reach him in any number of ways.  If you are calling by phone, you will have to enter your country code first.  For the United States, that code is 001.  To reach him in Bosnia-Herzegovina dial (001) 1 387 63 325 984.  In Croatia dial (001) 1 385 91 896 62 52 or (001) 1 385 99 871 99 14.  You can also e-mail him at: fotozog@gmail.com   You can even visit with him via Skype.  His Skype name is fotozog.  Reach him on GoogleTalk also with the name fotozog.  Use the same name to connect with him on Facebook.

Hvala vam za fotografijama, Zoran!  (Thank you for the photos, Zoran!)