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| Our Lady
of Medjugorje - Gospa
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Medjugorje
Village and Our Lady of Medjugorie
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 Medjugorje is a
small mountain village in Bosnia-Hercegovina, the former
Yugoslavia. Since the first apparition of the Gospa to
six children on June 24, 1981 on the hill of Podbrdo of
Mount Crnica (now called Apparition Hill), the entire
region has been caught in the controversy of the
apparitions and the messages of Gospa.
Why this small village was chosen by the Blessed
Mother to be the place she would again repeat her
messages of Lourdes and Fatima.. that of peace and
prayer.. are a divine mystery. Certainly nothing in the
history of Medjugorje suggested that in this communist
nation would be a fertile place to encourage prayer,
conversion and devotion to God. Bosnia-Hercegovina is
multi-ethnic claiming Serbs, Croats, and over 30 percent
Muslims. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991 led
Bosnia and Hercegovina to declare its independence along
with Croatia, Slovenia and
Macedonia.
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How did the village of
Medjugorje survive the horrors of war? Is it the
presence of the Gospa? Or perhaps because Medjugorje is
considered by many the largest center of prayer and thus
protected? These are questions that barely touch the
surface of Bosnia-Hercegovina and the former
Yugoslavia's history. History richly laced with war,
destruction, inflation, economic instability and of
simple people clinging to their religious faith to
survive it all. It is a history much better explained
and documented by those better qualified that we are.
This does however lend a necessary background to better
understand why Medjugorje is a phenomenon.. and why it's
the center of such controversy.. religious and
political.
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It was on Apparition Hill
(formerly the hill of Podbrdo of Mount Crnica) that the
children first saw the vision of the Blessed Mother
holding the Infant on June 24, 1981, and where the
children saw her again the following day with her arms
empty. Within a few days, the communist state
authorities certified the gatherings at Apparition Hill
were dangerous.. for by now there were hundreds and soon
thousands of pilgrims in attendance during the
apparitions. They harassed and tried to prevent the
children from being present at Apparition Hill in hopes
of frustrating the apparition itself. They were
unsuccessful. |
 It was
then that the children, Ivan, Ivanka, Jakov, Mirjana,
Marija, and Vicka asked for protection from their parish
priest, Father Jozo Zovko O.F.M of St. James Church. At
first, Father Jozo allowed the children to use a side
room off the sanctuary. Later they moved to the rectory
to receive the apparitions. Several years later, on
September 1, 1987 by the order of the Bishop Zanic, the
children were forbidden use of the rectory and moved the
the choir loft of St. James. The apparitions are often
seen by the visionaries here to this day.
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 Although
the first apparitions appeared on Apparition Hill and it
is the planned site of the permanent sign to be given by
the Blessed Mother just before the secrets are to be
realized, it is Mt. Krizevac that has prominence for
pilgrims. Along the extremely rocky and treacherous
slope, there are placed all fourteen stations of the
cross with a large cement cross at the top of the
mountain. It's Mt. Krizevac that is where many miracles
occur.. most happening by the fourth station of the
cross, where Jesus meets his mother. To show devotion,
some pilgrims climb Mt. Krizevac
barefooted.
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It's
important to remember that Medjugorje is not just a
place on earth, but a frame of mind. Not all miracles
are physical ones. Many are of conversion or peace of
mind or miracles that are personal to the pilgrim. The
messages that the visionaries are sharing from our
Blessed Mother are the same ones we're asked to share.
We're asked to speak of them of course, but most
importantly we're asked to share them by our example.
They are of Prayer, Fasting, Reading the Bible,
Confession and Holy Communion. She requests conversion
back to God with our heart and to return to the
sacraments. She asks all of us, not just Catholics, to
accept Jesus with an open heart and truly learn to love
him.. by knowing him. And we can best know him by
knowing the Scriptures. In her message of June 25, 1989,
Gospa has said:
Dear children, today I call you to live
the messages which I have been giving you during the
past eight years. This is a time of graces and I desire
that the grace of God be great for every single one of
you. I am blessing you and I love you with a special
love. Thank you for having responded to my
call.
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From the top: Skyview of
Medjugorje from Mt. Krizevac, Autumn Vineyard in
Medjugorje, Cross and Crucifix on Apparition Hill, St.
James Church, The Fourteenth Station of the Cross on Mt.
Krizevac, Cement Cross at the top of Mt.
Krizevac |
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