Bulletin
168
Medjugorje,
November 26th, 2001
"Dear children!
In
this time of grace, I call you anew to prayer. Little children, pray and
prepare your hearts for the coming of the King of Peace, that with His
blessing He may give peace to the whole world. Peacelessness has begun to
reign in hearts and hatred reigns in the world. That is why, you who live my
messages be the light and extended hands to this faithless world that all may
come to know the God of Love. Do not forget, little children, I am with you
and bless you all. Thank you for having
responded to my call."
PREPARE
A PLACE FOR THE GREATEST GIFT
We approach the
time of Advent, a time of expectation and preparation.
It is a time of active expectation and preparation of our spirit for the greatest joy that ever happened to humanity – the coming of the Young Sun from above, Jesus Christ. In our daily life, we expect events that bring us more or less joy. We expect the end of the school year, we expect marriages, we expect people we love, we expect nice weather, a job… In our expectance, sometimes we become tired and lose patience and hope that our expectation may be fulfilled. Indeed, we have to know how to wait. Expectation has to be also a preparation, and not only a waiting with our hands crossed on our chest. This kind of expectation-preparation is asked from us in the time of Advent. If we want to receive the fruits of Jesus’ birth, we have to expect His coming with the same attitude as Our Lady, who prepared her heart in humility to give birth to Him. This is precisely what we need - the modesty of Our Lady, her generosity and humility. We have to expect Jesus in the setting in which He was born.
Where was Jesus born?
He was born in a manger, because only in the manger there was place for Him. Also this Christmas, he will be born only there, where he finds a place, where the paths have been straightened. Where Jesus finds a crib in human hearts – there Christmas will happen. We prepare ourselves during four weeks, because only those who are spiritually ready will hear the joyful cry of the Saviour of the world.
Child Jesus brings a message that spurs us to work on a better world, a message that fills our hearts with kindness for the poor, the little and the rejected. If we want to be inheritants of this message, let us prepare our hearts to receive this gift.
Let us reject our heart of stone and receive a heart of flesh. In her messages in Medjugorje, Our Lady directs us all the time towards her Son. So let us be awake and seek the way to this Mystery hidden in the manger, to enter into the secret of hope, of faith and of love that Jesus brings to those who are able to receive them.
Fra Mario Knezović
NUMBER
OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During
the month of October, 124,000 communions were distributed and 2,660 priests from
the country and from abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
Pilgrims
were here from Austria, Italy, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland,
England, Canada, Belgium, Poland, USA, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, Lebanon,
Hungary, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Leetonia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia
and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“Totus Tuus” in Medjugorje
During
the second week of October 2001, we noticed the presence of a group of young
people in Medjugorje, who joined our daily “house orchestra”, playing and
singing during the evening prayer hours in the church. “Totus Tuus” is a
group of collaborators for the New Evangelisation. A number of people from the
Ruhrgebiet, Germany, were enthusiastic about the messages of Our Lady and wanted
to do something for the Church. They started praying and fasting.
“We started by
going to visit prisoners. We met a priest, who worked with prisoners, mainly
with young prisoners. With him, we prepared Holy Masses for the youth in prison.
We also gave our testimonies. We then went to the streets. From time to time, a
parish would invite us to give our testimony or to play and sing.
We organise regular
pilgrimages to Medjugorje. More and more young people come with us. They are
enthusiastic and they bring their relatives and friends. This is how the group
has grown. Many young people want to give their testimonies about what they have
experienced in Medjugorje. They want to evangelise.
In 1997, we decided
that we had to choose our name. After prayer, we received the name “Totus Tuus”
– “Completely Yours”. The name “Totus Tuus” expresses the Marian
dimension: To live the message of Medjugorje and to transmit them to others. We
then, went to the Bishop of Paderborn and we presented our work and ourselves to
him. He was enthusiastic and encouraged us in everything.
It is a group of
young people and families who live in the world, throughout Germany. Members
make a promise for one year to give their free time for the New Evangelisation.
It is completely free, it is a decision, and it is the fruit of their desire. As
candidates, we prepare ourselves for that, and after preparing, we can give our
promise for one year. We all live normally in the world, working, studying,
going to school…
We find time
because we do not watch television, we do not play with the computer, we do not
go for useless parties; we are occupied with Jesus and Mary. We have about 100
collaborators. We also have a circle of friends who help us in different ways, a
few thousands of them. Our group is a movement of lay people, but we are
accompanied by several priests. We simply live the messages. The messages of
Medjugorje are what Church teaches.”
On October 12th
and 13th, 2001, the Humanitarian Organisation “Wall of Love”
celebrated the 10th anniversary of its foundation in Medjugorje.
“Wall of Love” was initially an association of mothers from Croatia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, created at the beginning of the war in Croatia. Their goal was
to protect their children from evil and violence caused by war destructions, and
to resist to hatred through prayer and love. Like all the pilgrim groups, this
group included in its programme the sacrament of Confession, Holy Mass and
prayer on the Apparition Hill.
Prompted
by untrue information linked to Medjugorje, which IS being spread in the world,
the Parish Priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Branko Radoš, wrote a public statement on
October 26, 2001, which we publish entirely:
“It
is nothing new that some people are against truth, those who intentionally or
unintentionally twist the truth. When it is the matter of Medjugorje, in recent
times some untrue information surfaced. What especially troubles the numerous
friends of the Queen of Peace from Medjugorje is the supposed statement of
Cardinal Vinko Puljic from Sarajevo at the Bishop’s Synod in Rome; that
Medjugorje was a source of disorder and disobedience in the Church in
Herzegovina, and that there were Franciscans serving in Medjugorje who were
disobedient.
For
the sake of the truth it is my duty to say: In his talk at the Bishops’ Synod
which took place in October 2001 in Rome, Cardinal Vinko Puljic did not even
mention Medjugorje in a single word. All those who want it can consult the
original text of his talk. By the way, I highlight that all Franciscan priests
serving in the parish of Medjugorje have been commissioned by the local Bishop.
I
invite all the friends of the Queen of Peace to pray, so that the peace and
truth of Jesus Christ the Lord may reign in this world.”
On
October 30th 2001, in an interview for “Slobodna Dalmacija”,
Cardinal Vinko Puljić, Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Sarajevo) said:
“The
phenomenon of Medjugorje is under the jurisdiction of the local bishop and of
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and it will remain so until the
phenomenon reaches another dimension, until the supposed apparitions cease. Then
they will be observed in another way. The actual situation is such that
Medjugorje has to be observed on two levels: On the level of prayer, penance,
something that is an act of faith. The apparitions and messages are on another
level, which will be submitted to a very critical investigation.”
Fr.
Ghislain Ndondji, OFM, Provincial of the Franciscan Province of St. Benedict the
African, Lumumbashi (Congo)
On
the feast of All Saints 2001, Fr. Ghislain Ndondji, OFM, Provincial of the
Franciscan Province of St. Benedict the African from Lumumbashi (Congo) came on
pilgrimage to Medjugorje. At the end of his pilgrimage, he spoke about his
experiences.
“My
coming to Medjugorje is a marvellous experience. There are so many things to see.
I think that it is a very symbolic place, but also a very important and
significant spiritual centre. According to what I have seen and heard, I think
that something very strong is happening here. Wherever Our Lady appears,
something strong is happening. I think that something very strong is being built
here in the frame of the Church. My brothers in Africa know Medjugorje through
books, through informal information, which they receive in a very disorganised
way. We have a brother native from here, Fr. Jozo Vasilj, and through him, we
are hearing something about Medjugorje. We have no organised contacts with
Medjugorje.
I have met the visionary
Ivanka. I was deeply impressed. I appreciate her discretion. I think that this
is a sign, which helps to understand the messages she carries. What I remember
are the messages, which Our Lady confided to her to transmit to the world and to
the Church: Prayer and conversion. I as impressed by what she said about people
who, once during an apparition, touched Our Lady’s veil, and their hands left
some stains on it. This a symbol of our world and of our humanity. As much as I
understood, Our Lady calls us to change our way of living to make this stains
disappear. This corresponds to Jesus’ profound words when He says: “Be
converted!”
I would like our people to
come to Medjugorje, but Africa is far away. I decided to take the initiative to
establish a strong contact with Medjugorje. We’ll have to designate a person
to be regularly in charge of it.”
In a solemn Holy
Mass on November 2, 2001, members of the rescue and medical services of the
Order of Malta from Köln (Germany) and volunteers concluded this year’s
service to the pilgrims of the Queen of Peace. During Holy Mass for German
pilgrims, Fr. Branko Radoš, Pastor of Medjugorje, thanked them for the help
they are selflessly offering to the pilgrims of Medjugorje for several years now.
The Order of Malta
invites volunteers who wish to join them in this service to contact them in
time.
Msgr.
Denis Croteau, Oblate of Mary Immaculate, bishop of the McKenzie diocese (Canada),
came on a private pilgrimage to Medjugorje with a group of Canadian pilgrims
from October 29 to November 6, 2001. He spoke about his impressions of
Medjugorje.
“I came for the first time to Medjugorje in April
– the 25th of April to the 7th of May this year. I came
as we say incognito; nobody knew I was a bishop. I had heard about Medjugorje
and I knew that if I come as a priest, I would be in front with priests. I
wanted to be with people, to see how people pray, to be just like anybody else,
to give me a good idea about what Medjugorje was like. So, I stayed with the
people. I came with a group of 73 pilgrims. Nobody knew I was a bishop. I was
just a Christian. At the end, before we went back to Split to take the plane, I
said: “Well, I am a Bishop”, and people were very surprised because I didn’t
look like a bishop at all! I wanted to have a feel of Medjugorje as a Christian
before coming back as a Bishop.
I read a lot of
books, I listened to tapes, I had a fairly good information about the
visionaries, the messages of Mary, and a bit of the conflict also. This is why I
came incognito, to make my own mind about Medjugorje. And I was really impressed.
I was so impressed that I went back to Canada and I talked to people and I said:
“If you want to organise a pilgrimage, I would back you up, I would help you.”
So, we organised a pilgrimage and we came last Monday, on the 29th of
October, and we are leaving the 6th of November. We spent 8 full days
here and people really, really liked the experience of Medjugorje. They want to
come back!
What impresses me
the most and what impresses the people the most is the atmosphere of prayer.
Personally, what impressed me the last time and this time, is that the
visionaries don’t stress neither big miracles, nor extraordinary things, nor
the end of the world, nor catastrophes or disasters, but the message of Mary,
which is a message of prayer, conversion, penance, to say the rosary, to go to
the sacraments, to practice your faith, to practice charity, to help the poor
and so on. That is the message. Secrets are there, but the visionaries don’t
make a big thing out of this. The message of Mary is prayer. And people pray so
well here! They sing loud, they pray loud, it gives you a good feeling. It makes
you believe that it’s really true. I’ll come back again, that’s for sure!
I give you my prayers and my blessing.”
The
book “Medjugorje - Réponses aux objections”, Editions du Sarment, 2001,
(“Medjugorje – Answers to Objections”), actually only in French, was
written by Daria Klanac, a Canadian of Croatian origin, who organised more than
sixty pilgrimages and accompanied several thousands of pilgrims. Her book
“establishes the truth in a clear, objective and documented way. She is
drawing from the archives she assembled herself during several years, which
consist of first-hand material. Daria Klanac answers to principal objections
against Medjugorje and demasks methodically, with proofs and without polemics,
false and defamatory arguments” (Editor - Editions du Sarment 2001).
In
the “Domus Pacis” house of prayer in Medjugorje, the Herzegovinian
Franciscan School Sisters organised another seminar for girls on the theme
“Seek Peace and Pursue it”. For this weekend, (November 2 to 4, 2001) the
sisters gathered twenty-five high school students and girls who are already
working. Through lectures, meditations, prayer and personal experiences, it was
underlined that freedom and responsibility are the principal way and means to
reach peace.
Two “Prayer and
Fasting” retreats were also held there: November 8th to 14th,
for French speaking pilgrims, and November 18th to 25th
for Austrian pilgrims.
With
the desire to spread the message of peace of Our Lady, many friends of
Medjugorje from all over the world made numerous contracts during past years
with Fr. Slavko Barbarić, linked to the publication of his works. These
contracts will not be valid any more. From now on, it will be necessary to make
a new contract with the Parish Office of Medjugorje for any new edition. We hope
that you will understand and be open for new collaboration.
On
New Year’s Eve, the parish of Medjugorje has become for many years now a
meeting place of young people from all over the world. This year, Rosary and
Adoration will begin at 10 pm and the Night of Prayer will end with the Holy
Mass at midnight.
A
big screen will be put up in the New Hall, and a tent will be built for all
those who may not find place in the church.
The Ninth International
Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim
and Charity groups: February 17 – 21, 2002
The
Ninth International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and
Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity groups: “Pray, Pray, Pray…”, will
take place February 17 – 21, 2002.
You
can send your registrations (as soon as possible, latest by the end of December
2001) by e-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr
, by fax: + 387 36 651 300 (for Marija Dugandžić), or register in the
Information Office personally or by phone: + 387 36 651 988. The programme and
all information about this seminar can be found under the title Medjugorje 2002:
Programme.
We
are looking forward to your reservations and to welcoming you at this meeting!
Second
International Seminar for Married Couples “AWAKEN LOVE IN YOUR FAMILIES”
takes place from February 28th to March 3rd, 2002 in the new building behind the
Church. You may make reservations (until January 31st, 2002) by e-mail: lidija.paris@medjugorje.hr;
in the Information Office personally, by phone/fax: + 387-36-651-988 or by e-mail:
informacije@medjugorje.hr.
Participation
per couple: 50 DM. All
the participants are invited to provide individually their accommodation in
Medjugorje. Programme and presentation of lecturers: preparing
It
is useless to speak about the importance of the means of social communication
for the world of today. Conscious of this fact, we tried in different ways to
reach out to all of you, spread all over the world, immediately after the fall
of communism.
One
of the most recent projects in the spreading of Christian values and Our Lady’s
messages of peace is the activity, which we develop through our Radio “Mir”
Medjugorje, broadcasting for four years now. Through this project, we wish to
join the homes of our local Croatian population, which, during the years of
communist reign and during the years of war, was deprived of information about
Medjugorje and religious contents in the media. With you, who are spread all
over the world, we are linked through this Bulletin and the Web pages – both
almost inaccessible to our population.
The
programme of our Radio can be heard in the south of Croatia, and through the
construction of a new transmitter on September 7th 2001, in all the
parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which until now could not hear our Radio.
Through the Radio “Mir” Medjugorje, our listeners are permanently in contact
with Medjugorje, because we broadcast every day our programme, which includes
the direct transmission of the Rosary and the Holy Mass from the St. James’
Church in Medjugorje.
Knowing
your generosity manifested during the years of war, when you were selflessly
helping our people, we feel free to inform you about the following: For all our
activities, we need spiritual and material help. This is why we have founded the
Association of Supporters of the Information Centre “Mir” Medjugorje. You
can become its member in two ways: Helping our Centre in spiritual and in
material way. If you want to help projects of the Information Centre “Mir”
Medjugorje, and its Radio “Mir”, you can choose the way which suites you the
best.
1.
Spiritual help. The Centre prays for and works on the best way of spreading the
messages of the Queen of Peace all over the world. Join us in this by your
prayers.
2.
Spiritual and material help. Those who are able to help the Centre spiritually
and materially could once a year offer a material support according to his
possibilities:
a.
When you come to Medjugorje, you can give your contribution in our Parish
Office, in for of a check or of a voucher coupon. If you cannot come personally,
you can send it through another person you trust. We will give you a receipt.
Please mark on it: For the Information Centre “Mir” Medjugorje.
b.
You can give your contribution also to one of the priests working in the Shrine.
He will also give you a receipt. Please mark on it: For the Information Centre
“Mir” Medjugorje.
The
admittance in the Association of Supporting members of the Information Centre
“Mir” Medjugorje is decided by the Direction of the Centre.
May
the Queen of Peace bless your work and your families!