Faith

Pilgrims Gather at Shrine Site in Bosnia to Mark 30th Anniversary of Virgin Mary Apparition

Pilgrims Gather at Shrine Site in Bosnia to Mark 30th Anniversary of Virgin Mary Apparition

(AP Photo/Amel Emric)

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) – Thousands of Christian pilgrims have gathered in the southern Bosnian village of Medjugorje to mark the 30th anniversary of the disputed apparition of the Virgin Mary.

At dawn Saturday, pilgrims from around the world climbed a hill above Medjugorje where six children claimed in 1981 they had the visions.

The Medjugorje apparition has been disputed for decades. Unlike Fatima in Portugal or Lourdes in France, the Roman Catholic church is cautious about calling the sightings authentic, and has not formally approved Medjugorje as a shrine site.

The Vatican last year started formally investigating the apparitions that the six—now adults—claim are still regular.

But the lack of official recognition has not stopped the remote village from thriving, through communism and then war. Some 40 million faithful have visited its shrine so far.

Comments (29)

  • GospaLoves6
    Posted on June 26, 2011 at 9:18pm

    I too, have been to Medjugorje and it has only intensified my Catholic faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Thousands and thousands of men have returned from Medjugorje inspired to join the priesthood (I know one personally). People who had fallen away from the church or its most precious practices- i.e. confession- have returned to their roots. (I personally went to confession once a year before my pilgrimage and now go as often as I am able). I witnessed and experienced miracles while I was in Bosnia and upon my return home, each of them bringing me closer to my Lord Jesus and my faith. It is frustrating to read naysayers who have not properly researched the apparitions. Medical tests were run on the visionaries during their apparitions and scientists were baffled by the results. Some of the visionaries were very young when this began and are now grown… it would be quite a ruse to carry off for 30 years. Mary’s messages are gentle reminders to turn back to her Son, Jesus, and she says repeatedly that “this is a time of grace for us”. As of last year, for the first time, the Vatican IS in fact investigating this “mystery” and possible miracle WHILE it is taking place. http://www.medjugorje.org/wordpress/archives/34

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  • Arizona Luke
    Posted on June 26, 2011 at 12:09pm

    I‘ve been there and can only speak on what I’ve seen, felt and had occurred. It’s 100% real.

    Some will believe, some will doubt, and I really don’t care. I know what I’ve seen and what I witnessed with my own eyes.

    Thanks for posting the story.

    Report Post » Arizona Luke  
  • Tinylittletealeaf
    Posted on June 26, 2011 at 11:32am

    @ Thun –
    The two verses that you refer to are not one in the same. The woman does not come out of the Ark, nor is she part of the Ark. When the bible refers to the ‘woman’ it is symbolic of the Church. (If it was referring to Mary, why would she then have to ‘flee to the wilderness for protection’? – Again, it refers to the Church.
    Jesus taught us how to pray…and there was no mention of Mary.
    I am glad you are no longer an atheist…but please don’t be deceived.
    Revelation 11:19
    Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.
    The very next verse in Revelation 12:1-2
    A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
    She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth
    The ark of the covenant, describing a woman? If the ark of the old covenant was the holiest of objects because it contained the words on a tablet that God had inscribed, then think about Mary, for Mary contained the word of God in flesh. She is the arc of the new covenant. The description is of the woman who bears themale child, verse 5, “She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.” This woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary, not some mortal woman

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    • Thun
      Posted on June 26, 2011 at 3:24pm

      @TINYLITTLETEALEAF

      John sees the divine temple in the heavenly Jerusalem and the real Ark of the New Covenant. And that’s what he describes, he doesn’t just say, oh I see the Ark and let’s just forget about that and we’ll shift over to this woman. If he’s seeing the Ark, he’s describing the Ark and his description of the Ark is of the woman who bears the male child in verse 5, “She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.” Now who is this? Some say it’s the OT synagogue daughter, Zion, others like yourself say it’s the Church. I’d say you’re both right but in addition to those truths, there’s a higher truth that ties them together and that is, this woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why, because in this vision, there are 4 characters. There’s the woman, there’s the male child who is to rule the nations, there’s also Satan in the form of a dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns and there’s Michael the Arcangel. Now we know the male child is Jesus, an individual person, but it’s also a symbol of the whole Davidic dynasty, because it quotes Psalm 2, verse 9, which is applicable to every Davidic king, most especially to Jesus.

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    • Thun
      Posted on June 26, 2011 at 3:36pm

      So it refers to Jesus but it also is a symbol of this corporate reality, the Davidic kingdom. Likewise, Satan, the great dragon, certainly refers to an individual personage, the fallen angel himself, Satan. But he has 7 heads and 10 horns which symbolize the earthly empires that he uses to make war against God’s people. Likewise, Michael the Arcangel, who makes war against this dragon but he doesn’t do it alone, he does it with all the angelic hosts, all of the armies of heaven, of which he is their head representative. So you have representative heads here, Jesus, the representative head of the Davidic dynasty, Satan, the representative head of the fallen angels, Michael, the representative head of the angels who make war against evil. And so Mary is the representative head of the Church. The church is called to be a virgin bride of Christ and yet mother church, a fruitful mother. How can the Church be both? Only one person was endowed by God to be both, Mary is the virgin bride and a fruitful mother. In Mary, the Holy Spirit has created the Ark type and source of the Church. This is how Vatican II describes Mary and this is why more than half a dozen Popes said Mary is the woman described in John’s vision of Revelation 12. We wouldn’t be a family without a mother!

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    • mycomet123
      Posted on June 27, 2011 at 10:33am

      Take your bias opinion out of it & just look at the humanity of it all. Of all the woman in the world Jesus created Mary to be His earthly mother. Mary was the first Arc of the covenant because through Mary Jesus was born into the world. I wonder why we as Christians are so hell bent on picking apart other Christian faiths. Why can’t we be UNITED IN CHRIST. If you don’t want to pray to Mary than DON”T, but please don’t be little people that do. Do you really think that Jesus is that petty that he minds people are talking to His mom. Personnally I will defend the Mother of God till I die–WHY? Because she‘s Jesus’s mom–& as a good jewish Son He is very protective of His mom.

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  • sundaisy91
    Posted on June 26, 2011 at 12:19am

    and for all of you who are not Catholic and are misinformed, we do not worship Mary, we adore her as the Mother of God and thus we ask her to pray to Jesus for us, in addition to praying to Him ourselves. Do not all Christians ask their friends “Please say a prayer for me” ? This is the same thing we do with Mary. We ask her to intercede for us and add her prayers to ours…after all, she is Jesus’ mother and he cannot deny her anything she asks as long as it is His will. Hope this clears up any confusion about our perception of Mary and her purpose in our lives. Jesus himself has sent her (at Fatima and Lourdes) as a messenger to His children on earth.

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  • sundaisy91
    Posted on June 26, 2011 at 12:05am

    My mother (now deceased 3 years) was born and raised Catholic. went to Catholic school from Kindergarten to senior year–a very devout Catholic all her life–followed the Churches teachings and was VERY wary of anything that claimed to be miraculous or of God. She believed in Fatima, Lourdes, and their teachings. my mother visited Meddjugorie and her faith was even stronger than ever. While the Church has not given it’s approval, neither has it condemned Medjugorie–it simply has not made a decision because it will take years to study and authenticate all the goings-on. My mother said there is definitely something “of God” going on there–she felt nothing evil. I trust my mother’s opinion because she was the most faithful, good woman i have ever known and she had faith that could move mountains. She could discern good from evil very well. but we just have to wait and follow whatever decision the church makes. until then, or if you don’t understand Catholicism, please don’t judge so harshly….this world has stopped believing in miracles and the miracles. Maybe if we did, we would be better off….just a thought

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  • Rhambutan fruit 2
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 7:11pm

    All i can say without hesitation is that I consider my Medjugorje experience to have been a genuine healing of the spirit. Mary brought me back to her son my Lord and Savior – I’ve never been to Medjugorje and I was from a protestant background. Although I did go to the Catholic church for a time after my healing, I’m no longer Catholic. I truely understand alot more now and my relationship with Jesus is strong. Mary calls us to Jesus not to herself-she is saved through Him just like the rest of us-Peace

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  • Thun
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 2:19pm

    Please explain how a Host that turned into flesh 1300 years ago can remain living flesh to this day? And please explain how wine that turned into blood 1300 years ago remains fresh to this day?

    http://www.miraclerosarymission.org/lanciano.html

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    • 2Tall
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 3:54pm

      Maybe you haven’t heard, but Satan disguises himself as an “Angel of Light”, read your bible. He likes nothing better than to get your attention off the cross (Jesus), and onto a woman that is dead, cannot forgive sins or answer prayers, (Mary, Our Lady of Fatima or any other mortal woman).

      Report Post » 2Tall  
    • rose-ellen
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 6:33pm

      Never underestimate people’s capacity and willingness to lie and deceive.I‘m a catholic but from what i’ve read about medjughorje, the seers are a pack of liers.of course the local community and church can benefit from becoming a tourist destination hence locals and priests profit from professing to believe in their “visions”.Once these “seers” start talking about secrets they can’t reveal or steps that the church has to jump through to appease the will of God [through Mary] you know you’re dealing with the desire for power through manipulation.Talk of secrets that can’t be revealed and steps to take to get on the good side [of Mary] are so reminiscent of clicques of young girls and their mean spirited behaviors.Most of these Marion aparritions to young girls[and boys] are laden with this pycho/social profile typical of young cliquish girls. For an otherwise powerless person or persons to suddenly be able to get the church hierarchy and even the whole world of catholics across time and place to jump through their hoops is quite a power trip. And boy the words suppossedly spoken by mary are hate filled,myopic,political and sadistic.Typical of the mind of a child afraid of their mean parents or someone coached by an adult with a political agenda. As antithetical to Jesus and any Christian spirituality as you can get.

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    • Thun
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 11:52pm

      @2TALL

      Revelation 11:19
      Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.

      The very next verse in Revelation 12:1-2
      A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
      She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth
      The ark of the covenant, describing a woman? If the ark of the old covenant was the holiest of objects because it contained the words on a tablet that God had inscribed, then think about Mary, for Mary contained the word of God in flesh. She is the arc of the new covenant. The description is of the woman who bears themale child, verse 5, “She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.” This woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary, not some mortal woman.

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    • hayesstephen
      Posted on June 26, 2011 at 12:31am

      May God continue to bless you. What a wonderfull testamonial! Thank you for sharing. I’ll pray for you tonight.

      Report Post »  
  • Thun
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:54pm

    “The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the Bishops of the world, to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. There are so many souls whom the justice of God condemns for sins committed against me, that I have come to ask reparation: sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.”

    On June 13, a couple of weeks ago, I knelt in a Chapel in front of an alter where a host was displayed that blood had appeared on. Six months ago, I was an atheist.

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    • sundaisy91
      Posted on June 26, 2011 at 1:11am

      wow! brought tears to my eyes! amazing isn’t it? and to your other post “how a host that turned to flesh 1300 years ago…”: many more stories of miraculous transubstantiation just google “Eucharistic miracles”. i urge anyone to look these up–there are many that happened hundreds of years ago and many that are more recent, but all of them have remained and can be found for public viewing. The Eucharist is truly one of the greatest gifts our Lord gave to us.

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  • JGraham III
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:52pm

    Christians are so starved for real miracles that they will rush to anything supernatural. The two tests that I believe qualify something supernatural to be Godly are: 1) what is the profit in such a manifestation? and 2) who gets the glory? If these manifestations do not give God the glory and if the profit is only to institutions of men and not to the ‘furtherance of the Kingdom’, then these “aparitions” are at the least suspect. Lying signs and wonders do not give God the glory: true miracles do.

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  • Thun
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:50pm

    We stayed for adoration and I knelt in front of an alter when one of the bloody Hosts was removed from the tabernacle and placed on the alter in her Chapel.

    Later that night as I was watching the news, I heard the announcer mention the date, June 13, 2011. Then it hit me, June 13th was the date of one of the apparitions when Our Lady visited the three sheppard children at Fatima. I jumped on line and opened the Fatima page I use to help me meditate on the Mysteries as I pray my Rosary and navigated to the apparitions page where I read the following.

    “As Our Lady said at the apparition of 13 July 1917, “I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia”. She did this on 13 June 1929, when She appeared to Lucy in the Chapel of Dorotheas, in the town of Tuy. Lucy said: “I had sought and obtained permission from my superiors and confessor to make a Holy Hour from eleven o’clock until midnight, every Thursday to Friday night. tuy apparitionBeing alone one night, I knelt near the altar rails in the middle of the chapel and, prostrate, I prayed the prayers of the Angel. Feeling tired, I then stood up and continued to say the prayers with my arms in the form of a cross.

    cont

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    • Thun
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:51pm

      The only light was that of the sanctuary lamp. Suddenly the whole chapel was illumined by a supernatural light, and above the altar appeared a cross of light, reaching to the ceiling. In a brighter light on the upper part of the cross, could be seen the face of a man and his body as far as the waist; upon his breast was a dove of light; nailed to the cross was the body of another man. A little below the waist, I could see a chalice and a large host suspended in the air, on to which drops of blood were falling from the face of Jesus Crucified and from the wound in His side. These drops ran down on to the host and fell into the challice. Beneath the right arm of the cross was Our Lady and in her hand was her Immaculate Heart. (it was Our Lady of Fatima, with her Immaculate Heart in her left hand, without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames). Under the left arm of the cross, large letters, -as if of crystal clear water which ran down upon the altar, formed these words: “Grace and Mercy”. I understood that it was the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity which was shown to me, and I received lights about this mystery which I am not permitted to reveal. Our Lady then said to me: “The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the Bishops of the world, to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means.

      cont

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  • Thun
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:43pm

    A little story about the apparition at Fatima. The town I live in has a very large Portuguese population and it seems every other yard has a statue of Our Blessed Mother in remembrance of the Miracle at Fatima. I LOVE IT! Anyway, I just happened to be watching a television show a couple of weeks ago, about a three year old child who drowned in the family pool but was revived and taken to the hospital where she was accidently overdosed and elapsed into a coma. She was in the coma for about a month and after she came out of it, the professionals wanted to send her to an institution where she would be cared for. Well her mother wouldn’t hear of it, she wanted Little Audrey Santo home where she would be cared for and loved by her own family. An outpouring of love ensued and people started sending Little Audrey all kinds of religious statues and such. Soon Little Audrey started manifesting marks on her body resembling the wounds of Christ. Statues started weeping blood and oil and when Mass was celebrated in her room, the host exhibited human blood right in front of a priest as he held it up in front of him. Her home isn’t far from where I live so my wife and I decided to visit a chapel set up in her home by her mother and we saw for ourselves, two statues of the Blessed Mother weeping blood and a statue of Our Lord seeping oil.

    cont.

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  • TheGreyPiper
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:17pm

    “the apparitions that the six—now adults—claim are still regular.”

    The Church of Rome will not speak authoritatively on any such event which is still “in progress” or appears to be. Some of the criteria include that any messages cannot, on the one hand, add to or change any officially pronounced dogma or teaching of the Church, but on the other hand, can’t simply rehash old stuff. It must, for example, shed new light on existing doctrine.

    That‘s on of the main criticisms I’ve heard about the Medjugorje messages; they are very repetitive and have the depth and sophistication of a Hallmark card.

    It’s also noteworthy that while Rome may pronounce such a vision “authentic” or “worthy of belief”, that only means that Catholics MAY believe in such apparitions, but are not required to.

    There are far fewer such fantastical phenomena here in Eastern Orthodoxy; such things are generally associated with the entire schismatic West, Roman and Protestant alike.

    Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
    • TheGreyPiper
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 1:20pm

      BTW, this is from an ad for a book off the site Thun links:

      ‘… despite some “good fruits,” [Medjugorje] bears all the hallmarks of a vast religious fraud.’

      Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 12:26pm

    .
    I hear that fat girl from last week with God spelled out in broken veins.
    Is having a BBQ and Yard Sale.

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • Thun
    Posted on June 25, 2011 at 11:14am

    Well here’s one the Church does believe. Bruno Cornacchiola hated the Catholic Church with a passion so strong that he carved the words, “Death To The Pope” in the handle of a knife he planned on using to kill Pope Pius XII.

    http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/appariti/trefonta.html

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    • pavepaws
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 12:27pm

      Thanks

      Report Post »  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 4:49pm

      However, a definitive judgement, either positive or negative in regard of Tre Fontane, has not been made.

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • fastfacts
      Posted on June 25, 2011 at 10:18pm

      Interesting that the Muslims are attacking more Muslims than any other religion. They are killing and burning their own people. Then they are attacking us as well.

      Look at all the attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. All the mosques that are being burned. Then you have those that are attacking America like the two this week, converts to Islam inside the United States, those seem to come after us more than Muslims on the outside, interesting how that works: http://tiny.cc/ihrgr

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