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THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL PILGRIMMAGE FOR THE DISABLED PERSONS “IN MARY''S SCHOOL” 2014

Coordinator: Fr. Marinko Sakota P.P. OFM

The third international pilgrimage to Medjugorje for the disabled persons will be held from the 23- 26 October 2014. The main organisers will be the Association “Susret” from Citluk in the cooperation with the Parish Office and “Mothers Village”. The participants will be gathering on Thursday afternoon, October 23, 2014. The Parishioners of Medjugorje are offering free accommodation and food for the weekend. The programme for the pilgrims from Friday evening to Sunday will include workshops, talks and prayer meetings. On Saturday morning all participants will make a visit to Apparition Hill.

Bookings for the disabled persons participating in the pilgrimage will take place from September 1-30, 2014 at the email address: gospina.skola@gmail.com.
WHEN BOOKING, we would kindly like to ask you to send us the exact information about the disabled person, there company and to state if parents would be travelling with them, as well as to tell us how many days they would stay in Medjugorje as well as your contact details.

 

Objavljeno: 28.08.2014.

Chess players from Ruscica near Slavonski Brod in Croatia came to Medjugorje

The members of chess club „Posavac“  from suburb area Ruščica, near Slavonski Brod, came to Medjugorje for the eleventh time. The chess players that came with members of their families took part in the evening prayer programme and they climbed Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain. Mato Opačak,the president of the club, said in his interview on radio station Mir Medjugorje that they come every year after the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This time, ten pilgrims came for the first time to Medjugorje. They were thrilled and told us that they will return the next year as well. Besides pilgrims from Croatia, at the end of August we registered groups from Italy, Austria, France, Ireland, the United States, Spain, Hungary, Ukraine, Germany, Canada, Lebanon, Malta and Poland.

Objavljeno: 27.08.2014.

Young pilgrim Sean Hickey from Ireland: „I experienced great conversion in Medjugorje”

Sean Hickey, 26 years old young man came from Killkeny in Ireland. This summer when he arrived for the Youth Festival was his eighth time. He said that he experienced great conversion during his first visit: „We decided to establish a prayer group in Killkeny and  we brought several hundred young people from Killkeny. We meet every Friday and we pray Rosary and finish with the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The influence of Medjugorje at the young people is amazing, their lives are changing as well as lives of the people around them and in that way the whole society in Ireland is changing. I am saying this out of my own experience, how I was able to move, change and convert and how I received a guft of personal relationship with Jesus and Gospa. In the same way I look at tue other young people and how they are growing in their relationship to God. Young people in Ireland are distracted with various contents and it is hard to motivate and moge them to these wonderful realities.

Objavljeno: 22.08.2014.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated in Medjugorje

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated in Medjugorje with the large number of pilgrims from abroad and especially from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. All pilgrims, especially the young ones were arriving to Medjugorje throughout the whole night in their feet, confessed and took part in Holy Masses  that were celebrated from 6 a.m. in Croatian language. Holy Masses in Croatian language in the morning were then celebrated at 7,8,9 and 11 a.m. and the central Holy Mass was at 7 p.m. Fr. Ivan Dugandzic was the main celebrant and around 70 priests concelebrated at that Holy Mass celebrated at the White Dome of St. James' church.  (photos)

Objavljeno: 15.08.2014.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on Friday, August 15. Holy Masses in Croatian language will be celebrated in the church of St. James at 6,7,8,9 a.m and at 7 p.m. The evening prayer programme will begin at 6 p.m. with the prayer of Rosary and Holy Masses in other languages will be celebrated throughout the morning. In these days, prior to this great Feast, the Information Office registered groups from Austria, Germany, Ireland, the United States, France, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, China, Poland and Spain.

Objavljeno: 12.08.2014.

The experiences of participants of the 25th Youth Festival in Medjugorje

It happens very often that whole families arrive to Medjugorje for the Youth Festival, young children and their parents and we had chance to meet family Nikolic, Croats from Zurich. Their message was: Come to Medjugorje. Ljiljana is a mother of four children and has been coming to Medjugorje for several years now. She told us briefly: “I am not here at the Festival for the first time and every year I bring my children. We try to pass on Medjugorje on our families, friends, even at the working place.” Her husband told us that they have been coming here for 20 years now.

Objavljeno: 08.08.2014.

The 25th Youth festival in Medjugorje finished with Holy Mass on Cross Mountain

The 25th International Youth Festival that began on Thursday, July 31, 2014 finished on Wednesday, August 6 with Holy Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Fr. Marinko Sakota, the parish priest of Medjugorje parish. The Youth Festival was held under the theme: “Behold, your Mother”. Dozens of thousands of young people from more than 60 countries gathered in Medjugorje this year. (foto); (video)

Objavljeno: 07.08.2014.

The last day of the testimonies at the 25th Youth Festival in Medjugorje

Salvador Iñiguez Morales from Mexico spoke on the last day in the morning part of the lectures. When he was only 10 years old, his granny spoke to him about Medjugorje and he tried to live Gospa’s messages ever since. His works in medical care in geriatrics and for a long period of time, he has “double life”. (foto); (video)

Objavljeno: 06.08.2014.

A young pilgrim Joelle Modard: „Message of Medjugorje is very strong and encouraging''’

Joelle Modard, 21 years old young girl from Switzerland participated in the Youth Festival and this is her 13th time in Medjugorje. “As a little girl, I used to come here with my parents and I come also in the times when the Festival is not held. Medjugorje is miraculous, I find my peace here and I have many precious memories regarding Medjugorje”, said Joelle about her experience and emphasised that every time she discovers something new. “It is such a powerful confirmation for my life. The spiritual life of the youth in Switzerland is very poor, in every parish there are only one or two young person active in the spiritual life and that is why we decided to have encounters with the youth from our region who are asking for and seeking God’s presence. We are organising the spiritual events because it is better to be in the communion, rather than alone in the parish. Medjugorje is here to show to the youth and to those older ones as well that the faith is still alive. Personally, it helps me live my faith upon my return home. Message of Medjugorje is very strong and encouraging; it invites people to love and to communion. It is nice to see so many people from all over the world. It was very moving to see so many nations coming here to seek for the grace and peace for them and their countries.”

Objavljeno: 05.08.2014.

The Youth Festival programme on Monday, August 4

Medjugorje is all about the youth in the last few days as the 25th International Youth Festival is being held with the theme: “Behold your Mother”. Young people from more than 60 countries are participating. The morning programme of the Youth Festival on Monday began with the Morning Prayer and continued with catechesis of Fr. Ante Vuckovic. The testimony of Mirjana Dragićević-Soldo followed and she invited all young people to be the apostles and witnesses of God’s love, to pray for the priests and to live in God’s communion with other brothers and sisters. A young couple, Matija and Željka Milošić spoke afterwards and two of them are married nearly for two years. In that period they had opportunity to experience the fruits of their decisions to live pre-marital chastity that they began in the beginning of their relationship. They established the movement “Youth of Mary’s heart” and decided to witness about the graces and fruits of that decision. (foto)

Objavljeno: 05.08.2014.

Fr. Ante Vuckovic’s homily at the Youth Festival

The central part of the Youth Festival is the Holy Mass that is celebrated by this year’s newly ordained priests and Fr. Ante Vuckovic is giving homilies every night. We are here bringing one part of Fr. Ante that he gave on Sunday, August 3rd: “We people are unusual creatures. We are so unusual that we still wonder whom we are. Wherever we look around, we see a hunger. We are not sufficient to ourselves, wondrous beings, and the most unusual of all that were created. But, when I look into the body, hungry and thirsty, when I look into interior, I see the heart that is hungry and thirsty. It is a heart that needs understanding, acceptance, love and poetry. I look into the mind and it is also hungry, it desires to understand and desires story. Wherever I look, I just see hunger. But, whichever hunger I see, I am thinking that it needs to be quenched. I can only imagine that that is where the secret of creation of this unusual being is. God did not create us with hunger without giving us possibility to quench it. It is not unusual that we people are hungry, but when we know that man is hungry, it is easy for him to receive any food just to eat, and he can even be given a poison instead of the real food. It is understandable that hungry person grabs and eats anything that seems eatable for him, but what cannot be understood is something that the reading of the prophet Isaiah revels us, because in just one sentence we have all of this contained and the mystery of so many failed and destroyed lives: ‘Why spend money on what cannot nourish and your wages on what fails to satisfy?’ Yahweh sees well. Man can in a good way quench his hunger. Again, anew it happens that someone deceives him and betrays him to take something that will not quench his hunger, and even worse, he pays for that with money and sometimes even with his life. How many deceived people are there and they had genuine hunger for love, acceptance, and understanding and yet they were not able to quench it. Afterwards, they fall into the drugs, addictions and whenever I listen to someone’s testimony from Cenacolo community I never have questions or doubts whether they are saying the truth. I have deep conviction that they are saying the truth, but that is not the case with every testimony or story I hear. When I listen to the politicians, I have many questions and I do not believe them always. Even when I listen to us priests, I am still not certain whether we say the things that we lived and those we believe in. When I listen to them, how deeply they fell into, how they left their communities, God’s call is before me like a shining spark: Why do you pay so much for the poison and we can receive such a good food for nothing? It is simple. Isn’t Medjugorje a place where whenever we turn around us we can see how human hungers are quenched in such a wonderful way for free? Tonight’s readings speak to us about that human hunger and speak to us how God sees that hunger. It is not always the same how we see that, how we in the Church understand it and perceive it, or how those who are close to Him see it. This is a good opportunity to look from close what does He really see.”

Objavljeno: 04.08.2014.

Theatre spectacle of Cenacolo community held

On Sunday, August 3, morning was reserved for the Holy Masses in different languages and the morning lectures and testimonies were not held. The programme continued at 4 p.m. with the prayer and afterwards the testimonies followed. Ivan Dragicevic, Medjugorje visionary spoke at the beginning and afterwards the members of Cenacolo community. The central part of the day was the evening Holy Mass held at 7 p.m. celebrated by the newly ordained priest from Medjugorje, Fr. Goran Azinovic with 370 priests that concelebrated. As in the previous nights, Fr. Ante Vuckovic gave the homily. After the evening Holy Mass, members of Cenacolo community gave their theatre spectacle “Credo” at the area behind the altar.

Objavljeno: 04.08.2014.

Benedikt von Perger: „The Adoration is the most beautiful for me”

Benedikt von Perger, 16 years old young man from Germany arrived to Medjugorje for the Youth Festival. He said that he is in Medjugorje for the 16th time and was thrilled to see this great number of people who were surrendering to God, but said that the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the most beautiful for him, when all young people in silence adore Jesus and look at Him – Jesus in the tabernacle. He also told us: “It is so hard to make young people do something in silence because whenever they go out, there is loud music around them and they are all gathered in the complete silence. I am so impressed by that. I am here every year and this is what fulfils me.

Objavljeno: 04.08.2014.

Youth from Hong Kong at the Youth Festival in Medjugorje

Young people from Hong Kong arrived to Medjugorje for the Youth Festival and we met Sphia Lee, who is 18 and came to Medjugorje with a group of 26 pilgrims. She said that her group was brought by people who are coming here for the last 12 years and are organising encounters with the spiritual contents, like spiritual exercises but also speak to them about Medjugorje. They travelled the whole day to come here and they are here for 12 days. She spoke about her experience of Medjugorje and said: “Medjugorje is a place of conversion for me, a place where many meet Mother of God and people become enriched in that encounter that is not physical, but takes place in their hearts, because Gospa points to us how to live so we would be able to find God. She desires to bring us into Heaven. When I return home, I will take love to Gospa with me, She is so gentle, as a Mother who wants to convert and decide for goodness. By the way, many people in Hong Kong know about these apparitions in Medjugorje.“

Objavljeno: 04.08.2014.

The second day of the whole-day programme of the Youth Festival in Medjugorje

The programme of the 25h Youth Festival in Medjugorje continued on Saturday, August 2. The morning programme had two testimonies: Fr. Marinko Sakota, the parish priest from Medjugorje and Manuel Reato. Manuel is 33 years old and comes from Ivreo in Italy. He is a disabled person that despite his disability has been coming to Medjugorje since 1990. After his encounter with Medjugorje, he decided to start learning Croatian language all by himself. He testified that his life was completely changed here because he found the meaning of his cross here. For years, he cooperates with the Information Centre “Mir” Medjugorje and since 2004; he translates in Italian many books as well as the news on the official website –www.medjugorje.hr. He also graduated at the Faculty of Theology (summa cum laude) and places all that into the service of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace and Her plan in Medjugorje. Immediately prior to his last arrival to Medjugorje, he passed the driving exam, but came by bus with his group. (photos)

Objavljeno: 03.08.2014.