Bulletin
180
Medjugorje,
November 26th, 2002
“Dear
children! I call you also today to conversion. Open your heart to God, little
children, through Holy Confession and prepare your soul so that little Jesus
can be born anew in your heart. Permit Him to transform you and lead you on
the way of peace and joy. Little children, decide for prayer. Especially now,
in this time of grace, may your heart yearn for prayer. I am close to you and
intercede before God for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
November
25, 2002
WILL THERE BE
CHRISTMAS?
Some years ago, a child without arms was born in Lüttich. Eight days later, the
newborn baby was given sleeping medication. The dosage was too strong and the
child died. At that time, much was written about its' mother, its’ family and
the responsibility of the doctor. Little was said about the innocent victim.
I write about this event, because it can help us in the time that is in front of
us: the time of Advent. In this time, we prepare ourselves for the gladdest
tidings that came from the Orient – the Saviour of the word was born, Jesus
Christ. We, Christians, celebrate this event every year for Christmas, but this
celebration demands a deep preparation. We have to be ready for Christmas.
This
is why God gives us, through the Church, a time of preparation and of tidying
our inner self. We have to make good use of this time. Each time is a gift and
an occasion for advancing at spiritual and human level. If we do not make use of
the time of preparation, the time of celebration does not bring its’ fruit and
radiance in us. If we are not awake at every moment, according to the call of
the Gospel, how can we be witnesses of our time and of the events? So, let us
live the time of Advent conscientiously and with an open spirit to the
inspirations of God. Only then, we will approach Christmas with the hope that
Jesus will be born in our heart.
In conclusion, I return to the image given at the beginning. The child was born
and died. It is something that, unfortunately, happens in our spiritual life
also. Jesus is born on Christmas, but does He remain alive within us? It seems
that, in many of us, He sleeps or He dies. In many of us, Jesus wants to live,
but the overdose of evil, addiction, blasphemes or licentiousness does not allow
Him to grow and to live.
One thing is sure: this year also, Jesus will knock at the door of our heart.
Will He live or die within us depends on us. Will this year there be Christmas
for us personally? Only we ourselves can give the answer to this question!
Fr.
Mario Knezovic
NEWS
NUMBER
OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During the
month of October, 115,000 communions were distributed and 3,182 priests
from this country and abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
Pilgrims were here
from Italy, France, South Africa, Lebanon, Malaysia, Germany, New Zealand,
Australia, the USA, Austria, Korea, Brazil, Great Britain, Ireland, Slovenia,
Belgium, Switzerland, Romania, Indonesia, Canada, Hungary, Poland, the
Netherlands, Spain, Malta, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Portugal, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia, India, Yugoslavia, the Philippines, Croatia, and
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
IMPRESSIONS
OF A BISHOP FROM THE FIJI ISLANDS
As
we have written in the previous issue of the Bulletin, Msgr. George Pearce,
retired Archbishop of the Fiji Islands, came at the end of September and
beginning of October 2002 on a private visit to Medjugorje.
These
are his impressions:
“I
have no doubt about the authenticity of Medjugorje. I have been here three times
already and I say to any priest who asks about it: just go and sit in the
confessional, and you will see miracle, after miracle, after miracle… through
Mary’s intercession and the power of God. We were told: “By their fruits you
will know them”. Certainly, the heart and soul of the Medjugorje message is
the Eucharist and the Sacrament of the Reconciliation.
I
have no doubts whatsoever. This is the work of God. As I said: you cannot but
believe when you spend a little time in the confessional. Signs and wonders are
merciful gifts of God too - but this is the greatest of all miracles for a
priest to see the people around the Altar of the Lord. I have been in several
Shrines, I have spent quite a bit of time in Guadalupe, I have been about eight
times at Fatima, and also in Lourdes. It is the same Mary, the same message, but
here at Medjugorje this is the “current” word of Our Lady for the world.
There is so much anguish and suffering. Our Lady has been with us all the way
through, and in a special way in Medjugorje.”
In
answer to the question, “Do you know that, in the world, there are several
thousands of prayer groups inspired by Our Lady’s messages from Medjugorje?
There are more than a thousand groups in your country, the USA… How much is
this a sign that the Church recognizes God’s words in the words of Our Lady?”,
Msgr. Pearce answered:
“We
have a little group in the Cathedral in Providence, where I am. They call it
“Little St. James”. They meet every evening; they have Exposition and
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and Holy Mass. I think that we
have not got the message yet. There was a great turn to the Lord right after
September 11, but I think, we need more than that before that country really
turns to the Lord. So we just pray for that day. We hope we will turn to the
Lord before we have to learn too many lessons, but this is also an act of the
mercy of God. Everything is an act of the mercy of God. We know very well that
God in His merciful love, in His permissive Providence, will take all the means
possible so none of the least of His children will be totally lost. That’s all
that really matters.
I
would say: come in the spirit of an open mind, in prayer, and entrust your
journey to Our Lady. Just come and the Lord will do the rest.”
IMPRESSIONS
OF A CANADIAN BISHOP
In
the last issue of the Bulletin, we wrote that Msgr. Pearse Lacey, the retired
bishop of Toronto (Canada), was on a private visit to Medjugorje from October 12
to 19, 2002, with a group of Canadian pilgrims.
These
are his impressions:
“I
came to Medjugorje in 1987. Things were much more primitive then than they are
today, but the Spirit is still here and the presence of Our Lady is all around.
You can’t move anywhere without sensing the marvelous grace of God affecting
the lives of people. I have met people who are here because they are on drugs,
on alcohol. I have met people with tragic situations in their lives and the
miraculous way in which God is reflecting, manifesting Himself. One of the
priests told me that he was hearing confessions, he eventually stopped and left,
and they drew him back! The magnitude of the Confessions is enough if you want
to be satisfied that God is present here. For me, that’s Medjugorje.
Our
Lady’s apparitions are no problem for me. Fundamentally, it is a question of
belief. We can’t inflict faith and devotion on people. Mostly you can show it
by your own example. This is the freedom that God has given to all of us. He
wants us to respond out of faith and love.
The
basic message of Medjugorje is absolutely solid. We are living in 2002, but men
and women are still made of a body and a soul. We all have traces of the
original sin. Our needs are the same as in the times of the Apostles and in any
generation. Basically, we are the children of God and our cries are as huge as
of any generation. Therefore, the message has to be the same! We cannot do
without God. This is the marvelous thing about Medjugorje. This is an oasis of
God, this is the life of the Church as it should be. Tradition is not a dirty
word, although it seems to be to some people! The life of a priest consists in
bringing people back to God, people who have wandered away because they thought
religion was irrelevant. Thank God that He is God and provides places like this.
I have been to other places, but Medjugorje is the shining light today in our
society.”
The
Faithful From the United Arabic Emirates, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, on Pilgrimage in
Medjugorje
A
group of about ten pilgrims, Christians living and working in the United Arabic
Emirates, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, was on a pilgrimage in Medjugorje in October of
2002. This pilgrimage was organized by the Lebanese Catholic Television
“Telelumiere” and accompanied by Fr. Boulos Fahd.
UN
Soldiers in Medjugorje
About
50 Polish UN soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina located in Doboj came on a
pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Queen of Peace on Sunday, October 27, 2002. Led
by their military chaplain, they prayed on the hills and celebrated Sunday Mass
in the Adoration Chapel.
Humanitarian
Help for Africa
The
German humanitarian association “Gospa Mira” from St. Peter’s Catholic
Parish in Sinzing, together with the humanitarian association
“Medjugorje-Mir” from Split, organised the first humanitarian transport for
Africa in September of 2002. About 20,000 kg of goods for renovation of a
hospital were sent by boat through Mombasa (Kenya) to Goma (Congo), to the
region devastated by a volcanic explosion. In the name of the Bishop, Fr.
Innocents from Goma thanks all of Our Lady’s friends!
Solemnity
of All Saints
Traditionally
a great number of pilgrims come to Medjugorje on All Saints' Day and All Soul's
Day. This year the most numerous pilgrims came from Austria, Germany, France and
Italy. Here in this place of pilgrimage, these are days in which we - together
with the pilgrims from the entire world - pray especially for the deceased, but
particularly for the Croatian defenders, who gave their lives for our freedom.
Many people in the world heard about our small country through pilgrims from
Medjugorje and helped the suffering people of our homeland in the most difficult
times. Parishioners of the parish of Medjugorje and all others who experienced
their love, care and help always include them in their prayers and ask for God's
blessing upon them. On All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Holy Masses were
celebrated not only in the Parish Church, but also at the eight cemeteries of
the Parish.
Maltese
Order Concludes this Year’s Service at the Shrine
In the beginning of November 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. We thank them for the help they
have selflessly offered 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 for next year.
Art
gathering in Medjugorje
About
thirty artists, mostly academically educated painters, sculptors and graphists
from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, gathered together on November 3rd,
2002, for an Art Gathering at the St. Francis’ Garden. Its’ goal is to
create and donate works of art towards construction of a Rehabilitation Centre
– a Hipotherapy – within St. Francis’ Garden.
This
first encounter lasted only a day, but there is a desire to organize Art
Gatherings in summer time and to make it a tradition.
Blessing
of the New Dispensary
On November
12th, 2002, a newly constructed Dispensary “The Donum Dei” was
blessed at the Shrine of the Queen of Peace. The dispensary was blessed by Fr.
Branko Rados, who said that - for some time already - the need was felt for such
a building within the Shrine.
Joseph
Canizaro, an American businessman, founder of “The Donum Dei Foundation”,
and Danny Abramowicz, President of the Foundation, together with the Medjugorje
visionary Ivan Dragicevic, who also helped in this project, all came to
Medjugorje for the celebration of the blessing.
Fr. Branko
Rados said that Dispensary should open in the spring, after the acquisition of
necessary equipment.
3rd
International Seminar for Married Couples
The 3rd
International Seminar for Married Couples will take place in Medjugorje from
February 13 to 16, 2003.
The theme of
the seminar is: “Put God in the First Place in Your Families”.
It is
recommended that you bring
1. a small FM
radio with headphones and
2. a Bible.
The seminar
will take place in the New Hall behind the Church. Participation fee per couple
is 26 €. You may make reservations by e-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr,
or at the Information Office, by phone/fax: +387-36-651-988 (for Marija
Dugandzic).
Number of
participants is limited because of the limited space in the Hall, so we ask you
to send your registration as soon as possible, et the latest by the end of
December of 2002. All the participants are to arrange for their accommodation in
Medjugorje.
You can find
the Program own for the Seminar on our web page www.medjugorje.hr.
The
10th International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres
and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity groups
The 10th
International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje
Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity groups will take place in the New Hall in Medjugorje
from February 23 – 27, 2003. The theme is, “The Essentials of Medjugorje”.
The number of
places is limited, and the number of participants is increasing from year to
year. This is why we ask you kindly to make your registration as soon as
possible, at the latest by the end of December of 2002. You can make your
registrations by tel/fax + 387 36 651 988 (for Marija Dugandzic) or by e-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr,
or personally at the Information Office. Simultaneous translation is available
for all language groups. The price of the seminar is 62 € per person. This
includes all the costs of organization and of functioning of the seminar (lecturers,
translations of texts, simultaneous translation and lunch the last day). When
you register and pay on the first day, you will receive a nametag, which will
allow you to participate in the seminar. We ask you to kindly arrange for your
own accommodation in Medjugorje. We believe that will not be a problem for you,
because you have been coming to Medjugorje for many years and have your friends
and acquaintances here. We ask you to kindly bring a small FM radio with
headphones.
We
are looking forward to your reservations and to welcoming you at this meeting!
You can find
the Program for this Seminar on our web page www.medjugorje.hr.
The 8th International Meeting for Priests
The
8th International meeting for priests will take place in Medjugorje
from June 30 to July 5, 2003: The theme of the meeting is “Servant
of the Eucharist”.
PROGRAM
June 30, 2003 – Monday
10 am – 6
pm – Registration of the participants in the New Hall behind the Church
6 pm –
BEGINNING OF THE SEMINAR
(Prayer of
the Rosary, Holy Mass, Prayer for health of body and soul, Glorious Mysteries of
the Rosary)
July
1, 2003 – Tuesday
8.30 am-
Laudes in Latin and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
9 am –
Instruction
10 am –
Break
10.30 am –
Discussion with the lecturer
12 am –
Prayer
3.30 pm -
Instruction
4.30 pm –
Break
5 pm -
Discussion with the lecturer
6 pm –
Evening Prayer Programme (Rosary, Holy Mass, Prayer for health of body and soul)
July
2, 2003 – Wednesday
8.30 am-
Laudes in Latin and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
9 am –
Instruction
10 am –
Break
10.30 am –
Discussion with the lecturer
12 am –
Prayer
3.30 pm -
Instruction
4.30 pm –
Break
5 pm -
Discussion with the lecturer
6 pm –
Evening Prayer Programme (Rosary, Holy Mass, Prayer for health of body and soul)
10 pm -
Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
July
3, 2003 – Thursday
6 am –
Rosary at the Apparition Hill
9.30 am –
Instruction
10 am –
Break
10.30 am –
Discussion
12 am –
Prayer
3.30 pm –
Instruction
5 pm –
Break
5.30 pm –
Encounter with a visionary
6 pm –
Evening Prayer Programme (Rosary, Holy Mass, Adoration)
July
4, 2003 – Friday
6 am – Way
of the Cross on Cross Mountain
Confessions
4.30 pm –
Instruction
6 pm –
Evening Prayer Programme (Rosary, Holy Mass, Veneration of the Cross)
July
5, 2003 – Saturday
8.30 am –
Laudes at Fr. Slavko Barbaric’s tomb
9.30 –
Sharing of experiences, suggestions and witnessing
CONCLUSION OF
THE MEETING WITH HOLY MASS AT NOON
You
may make reservations by e-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr
, at the Information Office personally, or by phone/fax: +387-36-651-988 (for
Marija Dugandzic).
We
ask all priests who have arranged their own accommodation with a family in
Medjugorje to note in their application the name and the phone number of the
family where they will be staying. We will arrange accommodation for all the
priests who have no direct contacts and have not arranged their own
accommodation. (Please note in your application if you wish us to arrange
accomodation for you.)
Instead
of a monetary payment, we ask you to kindly celebrate five Mass intentions.
It
is necessary to bring with you: your celebret given by your
superior, an alb and stole, a Bible, a
small FM radio with headphones (for simultaneous translation).
Many
priests who do not have access to Internet may not have been informed about the
existence of this international meeting in Medjugorje. Therefore, we kindly ask
all Organisers of pilgrimages, Prayer Groups and Centres for Peace to publish
this information as widely as possible by all means at their disposal, so that
as many priests as possible may participate. In as much as it is possible, we
also kindly ask you to financially assist the priests who would like to come but
do not have the necessary funds for such a journey. We thank you in advance and
pray for God’s blessing and the blessing of the Queen of Peace upon you and
your work.
Seminars at “Domus pacis”
In October
and November, five “Prayer and Fasting” seminars for pilgrims from Germany,
Austria France and Ukraine took place in the house of prayer “Domus Pacis”.
About 180 participants spent 6 days in deepening their faith in the Lord, while
answering Our Lady’s call to prayer, fasting and inner silence.
The
Franciscan sisters led two seminars for 30 girls, and at the end of October, the
Franciscan friars gathered 25 members of the Franciscan Youth Fraternity for a
time of recollection.
For
“Prayer and Fasting” seminars, contact
Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic, Zupni ured Medjugorje, Gospin trg 1, 88266 Medjugorje,
Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Fax: 00 387 36 651 444)
New Year's
Eve in Medjugorje
On New Year’s
Eve, for many years now, the parish of Medjugorje has become a meeting place for
young people from all over the world. This year, Eucharistic Adoration will
begin at 10 pm on New Years eve, and the Vigil will end with the Holy Mass at
midnight.
Also this
year, a big screen will be put up in the New Hall, and a tent will be set up for
all those who may not find room in the Church.
We invite
young people again: Come and enter into the New Year in prayer, with Jesus and
Mary!