Fr. Marinko Šakota announced the 33rd Youth Festival: 'Touching encounters of young people with God'

date: 12.07.2022.

"I am very much looking forward to the Youth Festival, because it has always been for me a time of spiritual renewal, spiritual exercises ever since it was led by Fr. Slavko Barbarić.  Moreover, the Youth Festival leaves a strong impression on me for the following reasons: How touching are the encounters of young people with God during those days!  Everyone being so full of joy and grace. Meetings of young people with each other are no less joyful, either with those they know, and even more so with those they have never seen before.  It is a meeting in the openness of the heart, where there are no locals or foreigners. Everyone is "one heart and one soul", said Fr. Marinko Šakota, parish priest of Medjugorje, announcing this year's Youth Festival in Medjugorje.

Under the motto "Learn from me and you will find peace" (Mt 11, 28-30), this year's International Youth Prayer Festival is being held for the 33rd time, and will last from August 1 to 6.  This year again, thousands of young people will listen to catechesis and testimonies, pray, participate in the evening prayer program, and Fr. Marinko told us that Holy Masses will be celebrated and catechesis will be held, among others, by the bishop of Mostar-Duvno, Msgr. Petar Palić, General of the Franciscan Order Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina Fr. Jozo Grbeš and others.

For many, the Youth Festival is a special time when many have discovered, awakened or accepted their spiritual vocation during those days.  Speaking about the fruits of the Youth Festival, Fr. Marinko said that "Mladifest in Medjugorje is really special, a really wonderful experience of faith and prayer".

Everything that happens at that prayer meeting - starting with the presentation of the nations, prayer of the rosary on Apparition Hill, morning prayers, catechesis, testimonies, choir and orchestra, volunteers, evening prayer program, Rosary, the Eucharist, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer with candles, procession with the statue of Our Lady, performances of the Cenacolo community, missions and farewells, and at the end the Holy Mass on Cross Mountain at 5 o'clock in the morning - all these events are of such a nature that they elevate and pamper the soul, feed it with healthy spiritual food, fill it with a special peace and a special joy, and give encouragement and a strong incentive to continue living faith and prayer, walking with Our Lady and with Jesus in one’s everyday life,'' said Fr. Marinko, and this year's morning part of the program at the Youth Festival will start at nine o'clock, an hour earlier than it was last year, just as it was at the time before coronavirus, so each day will start with morning prayer at nine o'clock, and then catechesis and other programs will follow.

Many of the church dignitaries who were at the Youth Festival told us that they were delighted because young people listen to them, follow their catechesis, Holy Masses...

In the end, we asked Fr. Marinko: What do you priests think about when you watch tens of thousands of young people from the altar, who cannot be moved away from the altar by the strong sun, nor high temperature, nor downpour, nor early morning, nor late night...?

"It is truly miraculous to observe from the altar how life awakens in so many young people during the Youth Festival, sprouts of love and kindness, sprouts of joy and how some mysterious peace enters their hearts. It is an indescribable feeling when you look at the faces of young people and observe how they feel loved and accepted and how they too love God, Jesus, Mary, prayer, the Eucharist, confession, Adoration. It is difficult to express in words the positive tension that can be felt in the air, that anticipation, that listening that reigns in the prayer area in front of the outer altar! And the most beautiful and wonderful thing is to see how young people at the Youth Festival love the Church, how much they love priests and how priests feel loved and accepted!

The Youth Festival - a meeting of people in simplicity and openness of hearts. No alcohol, no drugs, but so much joy, grace, love, joy, and peace!  And some indescribable happiness!  So many from all over the world, and no one is a stranger!  So many unknown, but all dear to us!  No one in the centre of attention, and everyone with the feeling of being accepted and loved! Hot, but nobody minds!  Catechesis, testimonies, sermons, and no one is bored! The programs last for a long time, but not too long, on the contrary, we would still like to be in song and dance and joy,'' Fr. Marinko Šakota told us, and we can only invite you to be a part of this event – as described in the previous lines – taking place in the first days of August.