As it is already a yearly tradition, the pilgrimage of thousands of young people starts with Mary and ends with Jesus to find heaven while walking with the guidance of the Holy Mother.
Newsroom (22/08/2022 1:29 PM Gaudium Press) To build a world in peace, young people are the hope, as their energy and the aspiration to seek new ways of building a better world can become the impulse needed for substantial change.
Unfortunately, it is common to observe a decline in the faith of the younger generations. Still, hopefully, there is a place in which this spiritual renewal seems to be evident and palpable. The 33rd Youth Festival took place in August in Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina) with the participation of more than 80,000 -predominantly young people- from 70 countries. On the first day, and after praying the Rosary in different languages, in the solemn opening during the Holy Mass co-celebrated by hundreds of priests and some bishops, the attendees, received a message from Pope Francis inviting them to open their hearts while learning from Jesus. He also entrusted the participants to the Blessed Mother and asked for Her intercession and example to follow Jesus. The festival ended at the peak of the Križevac hill, in the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
As it is already a yearly tradition, the pilgrimage of these thousands of young souls started with Mary ended with Jesus as it is expected in the life journey to find heaven while walking with the guidance of the Holy Mother.
Medjugorje is a small town but certainly a place of encounter, joy and peace. In this mysterious place, thousands of pilgrims travel all the year from everywhere to change their lives, to find an answer, to have clarity on their vocation, pray, show gratitude, ask for forgiveness or forgive, heal a broken heart or an aching body, in sum, to talk to the heavenly Mother. The miracles that happen in this land are the norm, not the unexpected. The greatest miracles occur in the iconic church dedicated to Saint James, patron saint of pilgrims; the building is crowned with two towers and is also called “the confessional of the world.” Besides, during adoration, some people report having found love, counsel, healing, and peace. The conversions and testimonies of the blessings and graces received are countless.
This year on June 25th, Medjugorje celebrated the 41st anniversary of the apparitions of the Queen of Peace, with a solemn Mass and the participation of more than 200 priests. The apparitions have not yet been approved by the church, and the process of scrutiny continues, but pilgrimages are allowed and encouraged as the fruits of the devotion to the Holy Mother are visible in this small town.
The explanation that the visionaries report around the reason for having the apparitions here has to do with the faith in this town, transmitted from one generation to the next, and now from this place to the whole World.
For more information about Medjugorje, you can access the official site of the Shrine.
by Dr. Yvette Mucharraz y Cano