date: 14.10.2016.
Fr. Marino Kuzminski is a Franciscan member of Croatian Province of St. Cyril and Methodius. At the moment, he is serving as the assistant parish priest in the parish of the Most Holy Trinity in Karlovac. He came to Medjugorje in 1988 for the first time and he still remembers well this pilgrimage even though he was only 8 years old at the time. His mom, who died a few years afterwards, brought him here. After he graduated at the Faculty of Economy, he was a member of YouFra and he felt that he could do something more with his life. Fr. Marino was ordained as a priest five years ago.
„I remember my first coming here very well. I came as the youngest pilgrim with my parish from Koprivnica. It was really beautiful here and we decided to come here since we were Catholics. I was brought up in the spirit of faith and ever since I was little, I was able to experience human suffering. My mom got very sick while I was a child and went through couple of surgeries. She felt she should come here and pray. This pilgrimage was a family vow for us, since doctors wanted to help my mom, but were not able to make true diagnosis for her.
My mom complained all the time that she felt very sick, but doctors had different opinion. She decided to come to Medjugorje and pray to the Mother of God for help and intercession. I am so grateful to God, as that pilgrimage really made difference in her life. Soon after we returned home, my mom met a doctor who came to collect walnuts from our neighbour. The neighbour told him about my mom and this doctor took all medical results and was able to see she had heart condition and needed to be in the hospital as son as possible. I remember that I came back home, locked myself in the room, cried and prayed to God.
The surgery went well, but five years afterwards my mom died. I thought in that moment that God probably does not exist, as He did not hear or answer my prayers and I was very angry with Him. For a while, I did not even practice my faith. However, after a while, as I was cleaning my home, I found my mom’s diary where she wrote her memories and poems. I found a part where she wrote how after she woke up in the hospital, after the surgery, she did not remember having children or being married. She was so hurt and empty that the easiest was just to surrender and die. But, in just one moment she was able to see the light and she described how she saw Our Lady in that moment. After that experience, she regained will for life and decided to fight. After reading that, I realised how I took things in the wrong way, how I did not understand God who gave us five more precious years with our mom, when it was most necessary for me and for my sister. I believe God is doing miracles, especially through the intercession of the Mother of God“, said Fr. Marino who said that for a while they were not able to come to Medjugorje: „I came back in 2004, and it was different to see Medjugorje after so many years. The spirit of Medjugorje, nevertheless is still the same. When I come here, I am always focused on the spiritual dimension. The most important for me is to climb Apparition Hill and to pray Rosary there. I like to stay there in silence. Cross Mountain is also a dear place to me.“
Fr. Marino is here from October 14-15, with the group of pilgrims from Karlovac.
