date: 24.03.2008.
Again this year, Easter and the Sacred Triduum of Holy Week attracted numerous pilgrims from all over the world to Medjugorje: from European countries, but also from Argentina, New Caledonia, USA, Korea and Lebanon.
On Holy Thursday there were no morning Masses. In the afternoon, the pilgrim groups celebrated the Holy Thursday Liturgy according to their language groups, while in the evening, the Last Supper Mass, in Croatian, was presided over by the Parish Priest, Fr. Petar Vlašić, in the Parish Church. The night adoration from 10.30 pm to 12.00 pm was presided over by Fr. Miljenko Šteko.
On Good Friday morning, different language groups (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Rumanian Arabic, Korean, Czech, Slovak and Croatian) climbed the Cross Mountain every half-hour. The Croatian language group, the last of the groups to climb Cross Mountain, set off at 11 am. The Way of the Cross was led by Fr. Danko Perutina, Fr. Miljenko Šteko, Fr. Svetozar Kraljević and Fr. Stjepan Martinović. Numerous pilgrims went individually to Cross Mountain in the afternoon also.
During the afternoon, the Good Friday Liturgy was celebrated in various languages, culminating with the celebration of the Liturgy in Croatian at 6.00 pm.
On Saturday, various language groups celebrated the Easter Liturgy of the Word during the afternoon, and in the evening, at 8.00 pm, they joined the parishioners for the Easter Vigil and Adoration in the Parish Church. The Easter Vigil was presided over by Fr. Petar Vlašić. The homily was given by Fr. Miljenko Šteko.
It has become a tradition to have night adoration from 10.30 pm to 12.00 pm. It was led by Fr. Tomislav Pervan.
Throughout all of Holy Week, local priests, together with many foreign priests, spent a great part of their day in the confessionals. The Friars serving in Medjugorje paid special attention to the sick and the old parishioners, and heard their confessions in their own homes.
Again this year, because of the great number of pilgrims and the lack of space in the Parish Church, all the liturgical events were transmitted via a large screen, so that the pilgrims could follow them both in the new hall and in front of the church.
