Medjugorje History & News
Medjugorje 1892 - 2024
- Facts & History
- Church & St. James
- Apparitions June 24, 1981
- New on Medjugorje & Vatican
- Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Apostolic Visitor
- Pope Francis & Pope John Paul II
- Medjugorje as an independent parish has been existing since 1892 when the first parish priest was Fr. Anzelmo Culina, and the early church was built in 1897 during the period when Fr. Nikola Simovic was a parish priest!
- "Decretum erectionis novae Parochiae in Medjugorje".....Mai 1. 1892 Fr. Paschalis Buconjic Episcopus"
- The first time we hear of Medjugorje is the year 1599. From this year, one can find the date April 2, 1599, in the archives dealing with the list of places, villages in the pastoral care of the Franciscans from the convent in the town of Zaostrog on the coast of Dalmatia!
- The second church we see today in Medjugorje, St. James church, was finished in 1969! Interestingly, St. James is a patron saint of pilgrims and the first one in the Church's history to whom the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, appeared!
- The new church's plans started already in 1925, the beginning of the construction was 1935, and the church was finished in 1969! Just like any other church in Europe, the slow development was due to the war and the lack of money!
On June 24th, 1981, in a parish of the Medjugorje village Bijakovici in the country that was at the time still under the communist regime, Our Lady, Virgin Mary appeared to six children. To the Christian people of this southeast part of Europe, such an apparition was unknown. Croatians always had a great devotion towards the Mother of God, "Queen of Croats," as they sing to Her in one of the songs.
On that afternoon of St. John The Baptist's feast day at about six o'clock in the evening, on the hill known as Podbrdo, six children saw a young woman with a little child in her arms. The children in question, the sole witnesses of this most divine sight, were Ivanka Ivankovic, Mirjana Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, Ivan Ivankovic, and Milka Pavlovic. The young woman did not say anything to them but indicated with gestures that they should come closer. Surprised and frightened, they were afraid to go near, even though they immediately thought her to be Our Lady.
The following day, on June 25th, the six children, hoping to see Our Lady again, met up at the same place where she had appeared to them the day before. Missing amongst the six from the previous day were Ivan Ivankovic and Milka Pavlovic, who replaced Maria Pavlovic and Jakov Colo. With a flash of light, Our Lady appeared again and beckoned the children with her arms, to which they responded by falling to their knees and praying. After the prayers, Our Lady spoke to the children and finally withdrew with the words:
"God be with you, my angels!"
Pope John Paul II - on Medjugorje:
“Medjugorje is a place of supernatural powers where people achieved this supernatural influence through prayer, sacrament, and abstention from food.”
Archbishop Hoser, Apostolic Visitor to St. James parish of Medjugorje, Pope's Envoy - on Medjugorje, interviews, homilies:
“there is a special spiritual climate.” Arch. Hoser in the Catholic Herald on Medjugorje,
“the biggest miracle of Medjugorje are the confessions.” Arch. Hoser in the Catholic Herald on Medjugorje
“It is not my task to discuss whether these phenomena are true or not because the Church has not yet defined them,” Arch. Hoser in the Catholic Herald on Medjugorje
“Anyway, this movement will not stop and should not be stopped because of the good fruit that grows out of it. It is one of the most lively places of prayer and conversion in Europe – and has a healthy spirituality.”
"The biggest phenomenon at Medjugorje was the confession. On the sides of St Jacob’s church, there are two long, specially built pavilions, in which there are fifty confessionals.”
“The devotion of Medjugorje is allowed. It’s not prohibited and need not be done in secret.”
“Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem.”
“The file is now at the Secretariat of State. I believe the final decision will be made,” the archbishop said on the decision of the authenticity of the
Medjugorje apparitions
"This is what the devotion of the people in Medjugorje looks like. In the center are the Holy Mass, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and all of this followed by other forms of devotion, the Rosary and the Way of the Cross., which have turned what at the beginning used to be the sharp stones, turning them into a smooth path."....Archbishop Hoser's homily in Medjugorje
"In these times of terrible crisis for the family, it is crucial to go back to the roots, to God's project, to the model of the Holy Family: this is the
the reason why so many families come to Medjugorje".....Archbishop Hoser at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin.
Pope Francis - interviews:
“I receive letters, but we understand that [the things they relate] are more psychological than anything else. We have to distinguish things clearly. I think there’s grace in Medjugorje. There’s no denying it. There are people who have conversions. But there’s also a lack of discernment, and I don’t want to say there’s a sin because the people don’t know where sin begins, but, at least, there’s a lack of discernment.”
