The 26th Youth Festival finished in Medjugorje with the Holy Mass on Cross Mountain

date: 07.08.2015.

The 26th Youth Festival that began on July 31, finished on August, 6 with the Holy Mass celebrated by the parish priest Fr. Marinko Sakota on the Feast of Transfiguration, August 6, on the top of Cross Mountain. The Youth Festival was held with the theme "Peace be with you" and gathered dozens of thousands of young people from 75 different countries. The programme would start every day with the morning prayer and lectures at 9 am, and would continue again in the afternoon from 4 p.m. The morning catechesis given by Fr. Stanko Ćosić, Fr. Damir Pavić, Fr. Ljubo Kurtović and Fr. Marinko Šakota were about fear, slavery, prayer and life and forgiveness. The evening prayer programme would begin with the Rosary at 6 p.m., while Holy Masses were always the central part of every day. The opening Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Miljenka Steko, the Provincial of Herzegovina Franciscan Province. The main celebrants into other nights were newly ordained priests like Fr. Perica Ostojić, Fr. Filip Pavlović, Fr. Ivan Marić, Fr. Marin Karačić as well as Fr. Damir Pavic, while the homilies were given by Fr. Stanko Ćosić, Fr. Ivan Filipović, Fr. Ljubo Kurtović and Fr. Marinko Šakota. The biggest number of priests concelebrating was on Tuesday night when 540f them were there around the altar.  On Sunday, August 2, the procession in the shape of an heart was held around the White Dome. The musical performance of Cenacolo community called „Credo“ was held on Tuesday night  after the evening Holy Mass. The priests from all of the continents were available for the youth for the sacrament of the reconciliation nearly through the all of the day and evening. All these events were more beautiful thanks to the singing and music of the International Choir and Orchestra made of 95 young people from 24 countries, all conducted by prof. Damir Bunoza. The Festival was simultaneously translated in 18 languages and was directly broadcasted by many radio stations and TV portals. Rosary and prayers were said in 29 languages. The whole programme was broadcasted live in 16 languages through live streaming on: http://www.medjugorje.hr/hr/live-streaming/ . More than 150 000 visitors were on every night, while there were 231 000 viewers on the final night. (foto)