date: 11.07.2017.
Fr. Desire comes from the Ivory Coast, parish of Our Lady of the Perpetual Help in Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast. He is a priest for eleven years and recently he came to participate at the International Seminar for Priests for the third time. Here is what this young priest said about his experience of Medjugorje:
„This is the eighth time for me to be in Medjugorje and I heard about Medjugorje from the members of the Beatitudes Community in Abidjan, as they are spreading Our Lady’s messages there. While I studied, I knew about messages and I began to live those five stones the Gospa was asking of us. It helped me to live my Christian life in a better way, but it strengthened my priesthood too. Ever since I was a child, I felt calling to be a priest, but I somehow stepped away from that a bit. It was through Medjugorje that my calling was renewed. Gospa brought me back to Jesus. I came here in 2007, for the first time, about a year after I was ordained as a priest, so I would thank Gospa for all she did for me. There were about 40 of us in a group, and two priests. This other priest, just like me, had desire to come here and to thank Gospa. Ever since then, whenever I can, I come here for spiritual renewal.”
Fr. Desire said how this seminar in Medjugorje is important to him: „Each time I go back home, I return more renewed, more converted, different than I was when I came here. It means I am not just the one who invites others to convert, but I also need to be converting and Medjugorje is helping me in that. Only then would we be able to become models to others. Each time I would return home from my previous trips, I would always speak to the priests about the importance of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and we have introduced that to our parish, as well as the monthly Adoration for the youth.”
