Full Medjugorje Update

25 March 2011

Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Day 1

Last night we left for Medjugorje, Bosnia, and at midnight we stopped for a passport check at the Slovenian border. Once we got into Bosnia, the roads were very winding. Prof. Cassidy and his almost 6-year-old son came with us.

When we arrived at the castle, Nancy, Patrick, and the Ukrainian doctors greeted us with cheers and applause. Nancy and Patrick are so joyful and charitable.

After we got our rooms (I’m in the large dormitory with 30 other women), we went to the Church and saw the Statue of the Risen Christ. There is a miraculous flow of water coming from His knee and it’s the consistency of human tears. We were told about that, but you don’t realize it until you touch it what it is. Why His knee? No one has said for sure, but it’s where Mary’s face would have touched Him as she embraced Him on the Cross.

Then I got to be in the choir for Mass at St. James Church and then we had lunch at the castle. Even though it’s a Friday, it’s the solemnity of the Annunciation, so we had a gorgeous feast of celery soup, a noodle lasagna, and cake.

Then we went to Cennocle, a men’s rehab for drug/substance addiction and heard 2 men give their glorious testimonies of what this place has done for them.

Then we climbed Apparition Mountain where Our Lady appears and prayed the Glorious Mysteries on the way up. Some people are able to see the sun dance on this mountain. Whether it be a supernatural even or a natural event, I don’t know, but it’s really neat all the same. At the top is a Statue of Our Lady and we had some good prayer time up there.

Then we walked back to the church for evening services. Jo Bob and I had headed back earlier than others, so we didn’t go to the services, but went to the bookshop, the Luminous Mysteries Mosaics, the Stations by the Risen Christ Statue, and then dinner, which didn’t quite go as planned, but we still ate. Somewhere in here one of the Franciscan couples got engaged.

We had a holy hour and Markita and I walked back in the dark, but fortunately we ran into some other Franciscans who had a light—thank goodness!

Day 2

Today we began with breakfast and then hurried off to hear the visionary Vitka speak. She was so joyful—always smiling, even throughout her description of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory which Our Lady showed her. She also talked about that in order to blossom, we need to water our flower with prayers or it will wither and die. I wish I could remember everything she said!

Then we went to Mass and had a talk by Fr. Svet and he talked about the need to be adventurous. On the way back to the castle, Markita and I stopped by some of the street vendor stores to buy some souvenirs, and we were each given a free prayer card. For lunch, the men from Cennocole made us delicious pizza and spaghetti.

Then we climbed Cross Mountain—a real mountain. It has the Stations as you walk up in the midst of jagged rocks. The Stations are the same copy as the ones on main campus—I believe they are the only 2 copies in the world. Then we rushed off to get to our Sunday Vigil Mass, which was packed and we stood most of the time. Then, we did a Rosary, had a holy hour, and had hot dogs for dinner. It was so squished in the Church, so Markita and I left for a bathroom break and then finished the hour in the outside area. Then Nancy and Patrick kindly let us pile into their van to ride back to the castle for the night.

Day 3

Today we had the time change for Spring ahead, and woke up very early for 6 am breakfast. During breakfast, Patrick gave a beautiful testimony of how he went from money being his god and how he came to love Our Lady through her messages. Then we prayed Morning Prayer on the bus while we waited for people who forgot their passports. Then after stopping in Split, Croatia (we saw a Franciscan Church and Diocletian’s former palace) we prayed a Rosary, watch “Amazing Grace” and told glory stories from Medj—it was a great time to reflect on our experiences.

Markita and me outside the "Castle" where we stayed. It's not
a real castle, but its design is based on St. Teresa of Avila's
"Interior Castle" of the Soul.

Waiting in line to touch the miraculous tears
on the Risen Christ statue.

So, I'm a Catechetics major. And we CAT majors always embrace
catechetical moments. This is one of them: sheep in a vineyard.
How much more catechetical can one get?

Markita and me sitting by the Adriatic Sea in Split, Croatia.