Bulletin
201
Medjugorje,
August 26, 2004
“Dear children! I
call you all to conversion of heart. Decide, as in the first days of my coming
here, for a complete change of your life. In this way, little children, you
will have the strength to kneel and to open your hearts before God. God will
hear your prayers and answer them. Before God, I intercede for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
August
25, 2004
WE DESIRE TO SEE JESUS...
ABOUT
THE 15TH YOUTH FESTIVAL IN MEDJUGORJE
We have just lived another magnificent gathering of young people, enthusiastic,
enchanted, full of faith and optimism. We shall not speak here about numbers and
statistics, although they are not insignificant. General impression: a true
Pentecostal atmosphere. A new Pentecost in Medjugorje. No trace of fear, of
anxiety, of pessimism, which – as an epidemic - are spreading in the Church of
the northern hemisphere. While observing this meeting during six days and while
reflecting on it, we can imagine and almost see with our own eyes the biblical
images around Jesus: people speak about Jesus, crowds hasten from everywhere; He
is attracting, teaching, healing every disease and weakness in the people. The
Eucharistic celebrations made us think of Jesus on the Mount of the Beatitudes.
While internal problems of all kinds accumulate in the institutional Church in
Europe and in America, these young people represent a guarantee and a testimony
against resignation and fear. Twenty years ago, the Holy Father understood this
in a prophetic way: in the young people, he saw the force of the Church to come,
and this is why, through them, he is trying to inject to the Church a vaccine
against asthenia, despair, pessimism, depression and lassitude that are
spreading within. The Church of young people is the Church of the future, the
budding Church, the Church that believes in tomorrow, the Church that is neither
bending its knees nor abandoning itself to gloomy thoughts; it is the Church
that seeks and finds strength and consolation in Jesus Christ, in prayer, in the
Eucharist, in the Adoration, in the sacrament of the reconciliation.
Everything is so simple; nobody is disturbing or hindering anyone. There is no
need of hundreds of police officers or of security forces, as it is happening in
the stages; everything is filled with an atmosphere of interiority, of opening,
of prayer and of singing. Without publicity, without big posters, without
advertisement. Medjugorje is not counting on that. Medjugorje speaks for itself;
Medjugorje is in itself a magnet, which is attracting and focusing catholic
forces from the four corners of the world. If we look at the expenses that are
made for certain projects to be announced, at which point certain things are
advertised, and how much time and money are spent to carry out certain
gatherings, we can say for this Festival in Medjugorje that it is a perfect
spectacle arranged by Heaven.
We wish to see Jesus? This
is possible only through us, through you and me. Are we ready to dare? Mary says
that she desires to draw us towards her Son, so that each one of us may find
one’s place in this triangle between her and Jesus. Medjugorje is a permanent
mission of Heaven.
Dr. Fr. Tomislav Pervan
NEWS
NUMBER
OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During the month of July, 95000 communions were distributed and 4145 priests from this
country and from abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
In July, pilgrims were
here from: Italy, France, Poland, Belgium, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ireland,
the USA, Slovenia, Germany, New Zealand, Hungary, Rumania, Austria, Mexico,
England, Korea, Canada, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, India, Netherlands, Croatia,
and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Feast of St. James, Patron
Saint of the Parish
On
July 25, feast of St. James the Apostle, the parish of Medjugorje celebrated its
patron saint. In the morning, according to the custom, the Eucharistic
celebration began and ended by the singing the litany of All the Saints and a
procession with the statue of the Patron Saint, which was carried by the
residents of Miletina. Holy Mass was celebrated in the little park near the
church. It was presided by Fr. Branimir Musa, and concelebrated by the
Herzegovinian provincial Fr. Slavko Soldo, the pastor of Medjugorje Fr. Branko
Rados, and other priests.
The
evening Mass, which gathered together several thousands of faithful and numerous
foreign priests, was presided by Fr. Tomislav Pervan.
15th
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PRAYER FESTIVAL
The International Youth Prayer Meeting in Medjugorje took place this year from
August 1 to 6. About 25,000 young people from all over the world gathered
together. There were also about 400 priests, who accompanied their young
parishioners to this meeting. The theme of the meeting was, “We desire to see
Jesus”. During the evening prayer programme, numerous other pilgrims joined
young people, and about 30,000 faithful participated in the programme each
evening.
Lecturers and witnesses invited young people to come to know Jesus Christ who is
a brother for each one of us and the Saviour of humanity, and whom young people
need so much today.
This meeting was another exceptional spiritual experience for all young people
who participated. This is why we invite them to come next year again to
Medjugorje and to renew their fidelity to God, to the Holy Father and to the
Church.
The meeting was
simultaneously translated into seventeen languages.
SOLEMNITY OF THE
ASSUMPTION
Several thousands of local and foreign pilgrims came to Medjugorje for the
solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the morning,
Masses were celebrated in about ten languages. The solemn evening Mass was
presided by Fr. Dario Dodig, and concelebrated by 54 priests. Also this year,
numerous Croatian pilgrims came on bare feet. They were arriving already during
the night, after having walked many kilometres.
Seminars
in "Domus Pacis"
There were two "Prayer
and Fasting" seminars led by Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic for pilgrims from Poland
and from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In the same house, there
was a time of recollection for a group of young people from Montenegro led by Fr.
Franjo Dusaj.
The Fifth International
Meeting for Married Couples
The 5th
International Meeting for Married Couples will take place in Medjugorje in the
New Hall from November 3 to 6, 2004. The theme of the seminar is “How
to heal the marriage and the family?”
It is recommended to ring with you: a small FM radio with headphones (for
simultaneous translation) and a Bible.
Participation per couple:
30 €. You may make reservations by e-mail: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr
or by fax +387-36-651-999. The number of participants is limited because of the
available space in the Hall, se we ask you to send your registration as soon as
possible, latest by the end of September. All the participants are invited to
individually provide their accommodation in Medjugorje.