Last Day

Today was my last day here in Medugorje... i'm sad to be leaving such a sacred site.

There is no doubt that I have gained so much from the pilgrimage site that i'll home with me alongside a stronger connection to our God that I have attained here by listening to the messages that God has been sending through Mary.

I pray and hope for everlasting peace in our world.

Here is a video I put together of my time here in Medugorje, enjoy!

Bye for now...

Prayer & Significance

Prayer is the centre of Our Lady’s plan and is the most frequent message in Medugorje.

“Today also I am calling you to prayer. You know, dear children, that God grants special graces in prayer…I call you, dear children, to prayer with the heart.” (April 25, 1987)

Every day that I have been here I have prayed the Rosary to show my worship and devotion to Mary, Queen of Peace and have truly understood her messages from Go. I encourage you to pray the Rosary also, and show your devotion to Mary.

This pilgrimage site is so significant in our Catholic Faith. It teaches us ways in which we can show our devotion to mary who has done so much for us. After carrying the Son of god, she has shown her everlasting faith and devotion to our God, this can be seen through her apparitions. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, though resting in heaven, is still watching upon our world today, and giving us messages to attain peace in our world, the world that God so lovingly created for us, and the world that Jesus died of the cross for.

I would definitely recommend a journey here to the pilgrimage site Medugorje. 

Catholic Church Teachings on Mary

After my adventures around Medugorje today, I was interested in the Catholic Church teachings  on Mary that are relevant to the site. I found several pieces of magisterium that related to the pilgrimage site, but I found four from the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) that I believe are the most specific to the site, sharing with us teachings that reflect the apparitions of Mary at Medugorje and what the teachings of Mary that the place of pilgrimage is devoted to. 

CCC968 Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. "In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace."⁵¹¹

CCC971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."⁵¹⁵ The Church rightly honours "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."⁵¹⁶ The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.⁵¹⁷

CCC975 "We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul VI, CPG § 15). 

Live Webcam

Click below for a Live Webcam of Apparition Hill, Medugorje 

Click here for Live Webcam

How it became a Pilgrimage site

Today after 9am mass, I adventured to find out how the Medugorje became the sacred pilgrimage site it is today.

I found out from a variety of sources that after the word got out that those six young Catholics had seen apparitions of Mary, many of the faithful wanted to come here and see the place where these had happened, and with the hope of it happening again. Since then, the site has attracted many visitors, not just of the faithful but also those who are atheist. From this, the site has grown into a well-renowned pilgrimage site devoted to Mary, Queen of Peace, and has allowed many to strengthen their Catholic faith through worship.

Video of Apparition hill from today 

Further more, I also who the six young Catholics were who saw the apparitions of Mary, did you know that some of them still have daily apparitions?

• Ivanka Ivankovic - Elez - born in 1966, had daily apparitions till May 7, 1985. On that day, confiding to her last of ten secrets, Our Lady told her that for the rest of her entire life, she will have an apparition once a year on June 25, the anniversary of the apparitions. 
• Mirjana Dragicevic - Soldo - born in 1965, had daily apparitions until December 25, 1982. On the last day of her apparitions, Our Lady told her that for the rest of her entire life she will have an apparition once a year on March 18, her birthday. Since August 2, 1987, on each second of the moth, she also receives and apparition and prays with Our Lady for unbelievers. 
• Vicka Ivankovic - Born in 1964, still has daily apparitions. 
• Marija Pavlovic - Lunetti - Born in 1965, still has daily apparitions. On the 25th of each month Our Lady gives Marija the monthly message meant for the parish and the entire world. 
• Ivan Dragicevic - Born 1965, still has daily apparitions. 
• Jakov Colo - Born in 1971, had daily apparitions until September 12, 1998. Our Lady told him that for the rest of his entire life he will have an apparition once a year on Christmas. 

Exploring Medugorje...What I found out

The 6:00am Church bells work me up this morning, so I decided to get up and go to 7:30am mass at the Church here. Beautiful Church and a beautiful service.

After mass, I began my adventure around Medugorje. I found out that Medugorje became a place of pilgrimage for millions of the faithful since six young Catholics saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary near the area now called Apparition Hill in 1981, June 24^th at 6pm to be exact. These visionaries received messages from the Queen of Peace, and ten ‘secrets’ that will only be revealed at a given time in the future.

Photos from Apparition Hill  

The messages given to the visionaries by the Queen of Peace have stressed the importance of faith, prayer, fasting and conversion as a way of attaining both individual and world peace. These messages play a big part in strengthening our Catholic faith, and ensuring we take time to listen to the stories about Mary and what those stories are teaching us. With the queenship Mary has been given by her Son, she offers abiding mercy and compassion, interceding for all of God’s children. In the booked of Revelation 12:1, Mary’s status as queen is reflected, “and a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Our understanding of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth, deepens our connections to God. Medugorje has great significance in that the pilgrimage site holds sacred apparitions of Mary where she has given us messages and teachings from God in order to gain peace in our world, a world that God has created. It is in our best respect that we pay our devotions to Mary, for everything she has done in her power to ensure that the community comes together and units for peace and justice on earth.

From just one day of exploring this pilgrimage site, I am learning so much about Mary and the significance of the site which is really helping me understand why my faith has brought me here. As Catholics, we should pay attributes to this pilgrimage site as it significantly strengthens Catholic faith, thus deepening our connection to God. 

Arrived

Today I arrived at the Pilgrimage site Medugorje. I'm really exited to be here, and to explore the aspects of my Catholic faith that have brought me here. I didn't realise how close it is to my home country Slovenia! Tomorrow i'll begin my adventure throughout the site, but for now it's time for bed. Goodnight.

 Click Here for Medugorje Map and Satellite map!

Map of Medugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Map of Medugorje Site