Newly ordained priest Fr. Julijan Madžar: „Calmness and confidence I received in Medjugorje continue to guide me”

date: 13.01.2017.

After 42 years Kiseljak (small town in central Bosnia) has newly ordained Franciscan priest. The main celebrant will be Fr. Julijan Madžar, a member of the Franciscan Province of Bosnia Argentum, currently serving in Ovcarevo. He was born in 1991, ordained as Deacon on June 19, 2016, by Auxiliary Bishop of Banja Luka, Mons. Marko Semren. He was ordained as a priest by Cardinal Vinko Puljic, on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2016. Fr. Julijan was our guest at radio Mir and spoke to us about his journey of priesthood that was surely not easy and how it was Medjugorje that helped him a lot and strengthened his priest calling. For him, as he said, that was the biggest miracle of Medjugorje.

This is what Fr. Julijan said: „When my fifth year of studying was over, I began to have some doubts and uncertainties. I wondered what was I to do, was I supposed to become a priest? I asked my Province to allow me some time to think about this all and they gave me permission to do so. During that period I could feel that I was searching for something, but I did not know what that was. Back then, the parish priest in Brestovsko was Fr. Damir Pavic and he advised me to go to Medjugorje, place where I used to go before. On one occasion I was here with few of my friends, it was raining the whole day, but we wanted to go up the Hill of Apparitions. While I climbed the Hill, I prayed to God to give me the sign what I should do. I am fooling everyone, myself, my parents and my Province, I thought. When we came to Apparition Hill, there were few more people there. When everyone was gone, only two of my friends and I were there. It was in that moment that everything stopped, as if the Heaven was opened. I could feel something like warmth around me and that was the sign. I returned home”, said Fr. Julijan, who came here again, as Fr. Damir had advised him.

 

„I came to participate in the seminar held in Domus Pacis and Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic was the one leading it. I do not know how to describe those five days, I do not have words for that. While I was there, I opened myself for the first time in my life, I felt God’s nearness and I knew suddenly what I was to do in my life. One day we climbed Apparition Hill and I prayed to Gospa to help me. In that period, there were some new issues about Medjugorje and I was confused by that. I stood before the Statue and said: “I need help, I want to have peace, I need to know who I am.” While I was going down, I could feel as the whole world was opening for me, all those chains around me were being broken. I came home and everyone told me I was different. On the other hand, I told them it was nothing I did. For me, that was the biggest miracle of Medjugorje. Calmness and confidence I received then is still with me and it guides me. With the help of God, I will continue to work in the future. I plan to organise pilgrimages to Medjugorje from my future parish, as I believe that it can help to anyone after it helped me. Thank God we have Medjugorje”, said Fr. Julijan, newly ordained Franciscan who will celebrate his first Holy Mass this Sunday, January 15, 2017 in Kiseljak.