Bulletin
188
Medjugorje,
July 26th, 2003
“Dear children! Also
today I call you to prayer. Little children, pray until prayer becomes a joy
for you. Only in this way each of you will discover peace in the heart and
your soul will be content. You will feel the need to witness to others the
love that you feel in your heart and life. I am with you and intercede before
God for all of you. Thank you for
having responded to my call.”
July 25, 2003
THE SPOKESMAN OF
MEDJUGORJE
Last month, Dr. Fr.
Ljudevit Rupcic left us on our earthly journey. He died on June 25, on the very
22nd anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje. He did not only love
and venerate Our Lady and Medjugorje, but he belonged to them with his whole
being. From the very beginning, as a university professor of Biblical sciences,
he believed in Our Lady's apparitions. Like Mary at the moment of the
Annunciation, he received the words from Heaven, and he left his own questions
for another time. His first task was to believe, to receive what God wants to do
through the apparitions, and only then, to ask questions on how to live and how
to put into practice this message in the best and most useful way. As such, he
was the brain and the pillar of the reflection about the events of Medjugorje.
He has given the last 22 years of his life to Our Lady and to Medjugorje. In
return, he did not ask anything except Truth, for which he was yearning and
burning his entire life.
Conversations with Fr.
Ljudevit and living next to him always showed his eagerness for the orthodoxy in
the devotion to Our Lady, for total and complete application of Our Lady's
messages, for transparency and clearness in the liturgical celebrations and in
the catechesis at the Shrine of Medjugorje. In matters of Medjugorje, he knew no
compromise. On this subject, nothing was difficult or unacceptable for him. Love
for each pilgrim was his vocation during the last years of his life. He
practically ran towards pilgrims, to whom he wanted to transmit the message of
Medjugorje addressed to contemporary men. He travelled to many prayer centres
and participated in many gatherings that grew on the tree of Medjugorje. He
allowed nobody to reduce him to silence concerning the apparitions; he never
became tired while searching for the Truth. We can really say that Fr. Ljudevit
was the spokesman of Medjugorje; his voice was listened to in the Church, his
word was read, continues to be read and respected in spite of differences of
opinions. In this sense, Fr. Ljudevit ended his Medjugorje time-share and task
with best marks. He remained straight and unshaken in spite of so many storms
that never caressed him.
The message of this old
man full of juvenile spirit to us, Our Lady's children, is the following: Never
stop, keep on walking towards the source, live the love that you receive from
the Heavenly Father, listen to Our Lady and do not allow yourselves to be
confounded on the way of Salvation. Yes, this is precisely what he announced at
the altar of the Lord: he was inhabited by the love for God, for the Church and
for God's people. He was ready to do, to sacrifice, and to give everything for
these ideals. This is why the years he spent in communist prisons were a light
for so many at that time, just as for us today. As a professor, he entered into
the first year on Our Lady's school of love in Medjugorje. Our faith teaches us
that his diploma is waiting for him in the eternal life. What are we waiting for,
and what is waiting for us?!
Fr. Mario Knezovic
NEWS
NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND
NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During the month of June
2003, 151,000 communions were distributed and 3,472 priests from this country
and abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
Pilgrims were here from:
Italy, Poland, Korea, South Africa, the USA, Ireland, Hungary, Great Britain,
Scotland, Spain, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Egypt, Slovenia,
France, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ukraine, Lebanon, La Reunion, Switzerland,
Vietnam, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Israel, Peru, Albania,
Sweden, the Nederlands, Puerto Rico, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Fr.
Ljudevit Rupcic, ofm, has died
Fr. Ljudevit Rupcic,
a Franciscan from Herzegovina, died in Medjugorje at the age of 83, on June 25,
2003, on the 22nd anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady.
Dr. Fr. Ljudevit
Rupcic, OFM, was born in 1920 in Hardomilje, Ljubuski, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He entered the Franciscan Order in the Province of Herzegovina in 1939 and was
ordained to the priesthood in 1946. He completed his studies of theology in 1947
at the Theological Faculty in Zagreb. He obtained his doctorate in 1958 and was
tenured at the same Faculty in 1971. From 1958 to 1988, he taught New Testament
exegesis at the Franciscan School of Theology in Sarajevo and also at the
Theological Faculty in Zagreb for a period of time. Under the Yugoslav
communistic regime, he was imprisoned in 1945, in 1947, and from 1952 until
1956. From 1968 to 1981, he was a member of the Theological Commission of the
Bishops' Conference of the former Yugoslavia. He translated the New Testament
from the original into the Croatian language. His translation has undergone
numerous editions. He has published many books, studies, and articles in
Croatian, German, Italian, French and English and has conducted many lectures at
numerous congresses and symposiums in Europe and America.
He was committed to
Our Lady and to Medjugorje with his whole heart and soul, writing books and
articles about the apparitions. From the very beginning, as a priest and as a
professor, he observed intensely all that was happening in Medjugorje. The
mortal remains of Fr. Ljudevit Rupcic were first exposed in the chapel of the
convent of the Franciscan sisters in Miletina (where Fr. Ljudevit was chaplain
for nine years), and then also at the Franciscan monastery at Humac.
Fr. Ljudevit was
buried on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, June 27, 2003, on the New Cemetery
of Humac. The burial rite began at 5 pm in front of the church and the monastery
of Humac, with Holy Mass presided by the Herzegovinian Franciscan Provincial, Fr.
Slavko Soldo, concelebrated by the Superior of the monastery of Humac, Fr.
Branimir Musa, the Pastor of Medjugorje, Fr. Branko Rados, and about 60 priests
from Herzegovina, Bosnia, Croatia and abroad. Along with numerous local faithful,
many Medjugorje pilgrims from Poland, France, Italy, England, Romania and from
other countries participated at Holy Mass and the burial.
In his homily, Fr.
Slavko Soldo bid farewell with warm words to this great man of the Croatian
Church. After Mass, Fr. Ivan Landeka, Pastor of Humac, read the condolences
received from Msgr. Ratko Peric, Bishop of Mostar, Msgr. Dr. Frane Franic,
retired Archbishop of Split-Makarska, Fr. Bernardin Skunca, Provincial of the
Franciscans of Zadar, Fr. Mirko Kemeves, Provincial of Croatian Capuchins, and
from others. Farewell speeches after Mass were given by: Dr. Fr. Slavko Topic, a
Professor at the Franciscan Theology in Sarajevo - on behalf of the Franciscan
Theology and the Bosnian Franciscan Province; Dr. Fr. Ivan Dugandzic, a
Professor at the Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, on behalf of the Association of
Croatian Biblicists; Dr. Fr. Tomislav Pervan - on behalf of Fr. Rupcic's
students - speaking about the scientific work of the departed and about his
spiritual profile; Sr. Janja Boras, Superior of the Convent of the Franciscan
sisters in Medjugorje/Miletina, where Fr. Ljudevit has been the chaplain for the
last nine years; and Fr. Branko Rados, Pastor of Medjugorje, on behalf of the
Parish of Medjugorje and the pilgrims. At the cemetery, above the open tomb, Fr.
Branimir Musa, Superior of the monastery of Humac, bid farewell to Fr. Ljudevit.
All those who had
the chance to know Fr. Ljudevit and to live next to him, know that they have
lost a great and wise teacher, an affectionate man sensitive for the needs of
people, and a loyal friend. Since "our hope is full of immortality",
we believe that all that he has taught us will be fructified and multiplied in
eternity.
ON FOOT FROM ZAGREB TO
MEDJUGORJE
Among the numerous
faithful who came for the anniversary of the apparitions to Medjugorje on foot
were many young people, including two groups of pilgrims from Zagreb. Nikola
Horvat and Goran Ivancic, who also gave an interview for Radio "Mir"
Medjugorje, offered their twelve-day long walk (about 500 kilometres) for the
intentions of Our Lady.
MSGR.
GERARD NDLOVU, A RETIRED BISHOP FROM SOUTH AFRICA, IN MEDJUGORJE
Msgr. Gerard Ndlovu,
retired bishop of Umzimkulu/South African Republic, was in Medjugorje during the
first two weeks of July 2003. He also participated in the international seminar
for priests. These are his impressions:
"Some
time ago, somebody told me that Our Lady was appearing in Medjugorje on a daily
basis and I became curious: I wanted to see the place. I shared my curiosity
with a few people. Some were, like myself, open for this, but others thought
that it was a joke, that it was impossible. I still wanted to see the place, but
I did not know how to make it financial-wise. In Johannesburg, I am involved
with quite a number of small Marian groups, and I made my desire known to these
groups. One day, I got a phone call. A lady I did not know told me: "We
would like you to come with us on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje." I said:
"Certainly, I was waiting for such a chance!"
Devotion
towards Our Lady and faith in her in some areas are very weak, if not absent.
For some people to accept the fact that Our Lady has time to appear on daily
basis is impossible. I personally find this a deep challenge to our faith, if we
believe that in the universal plan of Salvation, there is nothing sudden; that
everything was, is and will always be in the plan of Salvation.
Personally,
I have no problems in believing that Our Lady could appear in Medjugorje, even
on a daily basis. She could even appear on a permanent basis, taking into
consideration that she is always with us, all over. We do not see her, but God
could make it possible that she is seen on some places. Therefore, I do believe
that she could be seen in Medjugorje on a daily basis.
I
find the challenge in Medjugorje absolutely in accordance with the teaching of
the Church and with the theological training we have gone through as priests. I
find it rather a challenge to put into practice what we have already learned. I
want to call Medjugorje "a rumination station". Here, I am challenged
to bring up all what I was taught in my heart and in my mind, and question
myself concerning my life.
I
am deeply impressed by what is going on here in Medjugorje: the spirit of
prayer, of dedication that prevails. I have been in the priest's retreat and I
was impressed by the brotherhood, the brotherly spirit between priests coming
from different countries. There was seriousness in punctuality, in prayer and in
alertness. You could see them hungry. Our lecturers were excellent. My advice
will be short: "Go there and experience it yourself." That's
all!"
THE EIGHT INTERNATIONAL
MEETING OF PRIESTS
The 8th
International Meeting for Priests took place from June 30th to July 5th, 2003.
This seminar gathered 340 priests from 32 countries (speaking a total of 16
languages), from all of the continents. Prof. Dr. Tomislav Ivancic spoke to them
on the theme: "Servant of the Eucharist".
During these days,
priests were sharing, praying, and celebrating the Eucharist in communion with
the people of God. Feeling here at the school of Mary, they went to pray at the
places that Our Lady had especially chosen for prayer: the Apparition Hill and
Cross Mountain. The last day, they went to pray at the tomb of Fr. Slavko
Barbaric, who initiated these Priests Meetings in 1996. The seminal ended with
the Te Deum.
From year to year,
the number of priests who choose to make their annual retreat in Medjugorje,
under the protection of Our Blessed Mother - the Queen of Peace, is growing. The
abundance of fruits of this meeting can be seen in the large number of
participants and in their moving testimonies at the end of the retreat.
We entrust them
into your prayers.
Seminars
in "Domus Pacis"
In the month of
July, there were three "Prayer and Fasting" seminars for pilgrims from
Poland, France, and Croatia. Also a group of priests, who participated in the
8th international retreat for priests, were accommodated in "Domus
Pacis".
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)