Medjugorje, the place where Heaven touches the earth, is a phenomenon that leaves an astonishing mark on the Catholic world today. It is about a small village located in the Hercegovina region, in the southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The population living here is Croatian Catholics.
It all started on the 24th of June 1981, at about 6pm, when an ordinary village parish become a pilgrimage site after an apparition of Our Lady (cro. Gospa). With deep conviction six young parishioners, Ivanka Ivanković, Mirjana Dragićević, Ivan Dragićević, Ivan Ivanković, Milka Pavlović and Vicka Ivanković declared that they saw Our Lady with the child Jesus on the Hill of Apparitions, Mount Podbrdo (also was called Crnica). Shocked and scared, they did not approach even they immediately thought it is Our Lady.
The following day, on June 25th, children felt strongly drawn towards the place where, the day before, they saw the One who they had recognised as Our Lady. Ivan Ivanković and Milka Pavlović no longer saw Our Lady and two new children, Jakov Čolo and Marija Pavlović, did see Her. The group of Medjugorje visionaries was formed. From that day onward, they had daily apparitions, together or separately. Presently, Marija, Ivan i Vicka still meet with Our Lady on a daily basis. To Ivanka, Mirjana and Jakov continues to appear once a year. They prayed with Our Lady and talked to Her for the first time on June 25th. That’s why this day was taken as the anniversary day.
On the third day, on June 26th, after appearing to all of the children together on the Apparition Hill, Our Lady again appeared to Marija Pavlović. She stood in front of a large Cross, and pointing to it with Her hands, sadly repeated:
“PEACE, PEACE PEACE – AND ONLY PEACE!
PEACE MUST BEGIN TO REIGN BETWEEN GOD AND MAN AND BETWEEN MEN”.
At that time, Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia, where the Croatian people were severely oppressed and belief in God was forbidden. The Communist Party wanted to suppress these religious events, but no one can oppose Heaven. In the following months, several parishioners ended up in prison, as did the parish priest himself, Fr. Jozo Zovko, who was unjustly convicted for “destruction of the state system”. The visionaries and the people were persecuted a lot, but they were unstoppable because they were guided by an inner strength. It is significant that the war began on June 25, 1991, the tenth anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions. At that time, many understood Our Lady’s call for peace.
Our Lady has continued to appear and give messages of hope and a call for conversion in order to bring peace to the world. Since mentioned events million people have journeyed to Medjugorje to experience what many refer to as “Heaven on Earth”. Medjugorje is also known as the “confessional of the world” and has been the site of countless conversions and life-changing experiences.
The moment you decide to be pilgrim and to come to this holy place, either consciously or unconsciously, you decide enroll in the “School of Peace”. In this school you find yourself in the same school in which Jesus found Himself. He, who is our PEACE, passed His last examination as the KING OF PEACE when He forgave from the Cross. This was also the moment when Our Lady passed Her examination in becoming QUEEN OF PEACE. Yet, in this world without Peace, the most beneficial study you can ever decide for is to learn to live peace in your heart and to become an apostle of peace. As a great Professor, Our Lady, teaches us unconditional love towards every person. She teaches us forgiveness.
The goal of this school is a PEACE. The main subjects are CONVERSION, PRAYER, FASTING and FAITH. Mary as a Mother, is very practical and calls us to pray the Rosary every day – prayer with the heart, to celebrate holy Mass with a heart every Sunday and feast day, to read the holy Bible daily, to fast, and to confess monthly.
Parish Medjugorje
The name Medjugorje is of Slavic origin which literally means “between hills”. The whole region is inhabited by Croatians who received Christianity in the seventh century.
The parish of Medjugorje was founded in 1892 and placed under the protection of St. James the Apostle, patron saint of pilgrims. Five years later the old parish church of St. James in Medjugorje was completed. At that time, it was sufficiently large and beautiful, but built on not good ground, it soon began to sink and crack. Therefore, after World War I plans were made to build a new church, which was completed and blessed on January 19, 1969. In the summer of 1981, the church of Medjugorje became a focal point for the gathering for numerous pilgrims from all over the world. People began to come, see and be convinced of the extraordinary events in Medjugorje. There awaiting them was a message about the necessity of faith, prayer, conversion, fasting and virtuous life as the preconditions of peace and salvation of the world.
In accordance with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII and of the Second Vatican Council, we state that we do not question Church authority, to which we submit completely. The words “apparitions, messages, visionaries” and others used on this web site have the value of human testimony.