Marco Bonafaccia, a pilgrim from Rome: „Međugorje has become my life“

date: 26.08.2016.

Marco Bonafaccia, 42, is a leader of prayer group that meets in basilica of St. Anastasia in Rome. He came on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje with his wife. Marco was our guest at the radio station Mir Medjugorje and he spoke about his experience of Medjugorje and prayer group he is leading. He said that he came here for the first time in 2002.

 „I had relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but I never prayed to Gospa. Many people spoke to me about Medjugorje. My first visit here was out of the curiosity and I was able to touch living presence of Our Lady here with my hand. That changed my faith and it became Marian faith. Through Mary, I was able to understand much more about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When I came here for the first time, I was a sceptic. But, after I took part in the evening prayer programme, I was so moved by pilgrims around me. I could see plans that Gospa had with me, She placed them right before me. Each time, something strange was happening, it looked like plain encounters, things I did not know how to explain. I was able to touch Gospa’s presence with my hand and I could feel She was alive and She was here coming here every single day for each one of us.

After I returned from Medjugorje, everything was changed. I began to pray the Rosary, I began to speak to Gospa as to the one who intercedes for all graces. I constantly desired to be in this place, I was watching the live streaming of the evening prayer programme all the time. I missed this sky, place, silence and people. After 20 days, I returned again and stayed here for month and a half, to be able to comprehend better what was happening here. I fell in love with Medjugorje after the Youth Festival in 2002. Gospa prepared many things for me, I was able to discover that only later. 

One great work Gospa and the Holy Spirit had preformed in my life took place in 2011, after many of my visits here. At that time, I had one small prayer group that I formed. It was a charismatic prayer group. During those special encounters in Medjugorje, I had a blessing of talking to Vicka, the visionary. She told me that it would be nice if one prayer group were founded in Rome. I was very astonished and told her that we would try to do that.  In those moments, book of Our Lady’s messages was in my hands. I opened the book and my eye was on the message from 1984, when Gospa spoke about Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I desired to initiate Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Rome in the way it was done here in Medjugorje. I went to the Centre for the Eucharistic Adoration in Basilica of St. Anastasia in Rome and the Head of that Centre initiated Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This church is opened for the last 15 years and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. After my visit there, he said we would start with the prayer.

We chose Saturdays as meeting days, days consecrated to Gospa. I was certain that Gospa wanted to initiate Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In September 2011, I brought first pilgrims here, 50 of them. The fruit of that pilgrimage were many miracles, physical and spiritual healings, and everyone told me that they wanted to continue to pray in Rome. We continued Adorations, and we received many graces and blessings. There are more than 500 persons who come each Saturday, even in August when people take holidays. We are 1 km away from Vatican and we are the prayer community closest to Vatican. Many priests are coming, many people are converting, finding new life. I bring all those people several times a year here. Medjugorje has become my new life“, said Marco, and added that this prayer group initiated many other charity works and they are helping one diocese in Malawi.