Category: Videos & Pictures

Is Medjugorje approved by the Church?

Cardinal Camillo Ruini

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, head of the commission that investigated Medjugorje.

During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the Vatican adopted direct jurisdiction over Medjugorje in an unprecedented move. A commission was appointed to assess the apparitions under Cardinal Ruini, and remarkably, the commission, which met from March 2010 to January 2014, concluded in 2017 that the first seven apparitions were authentic. This was an exceptional breakthrough in terms of official recognition of an apparition. It was also unprecedented because the phenomenon is still in progress. Although Pope Francis has yet to officially release the Ruini report, the Pontiff, himself, confirmed in an interview that the Commission had reached this conclusion. In point of fact, the Pope had actually stopped attempts by the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, to block this judgment. The pope also asked that the Ruini report be sent to him for a review and determination, as opposed to Müller, who was originally set to receive it.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje

On February 11, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as his papal envoy to coordinate all matters relating to Medjugorje. In December of 2017, Archbishop Hoser shared the breaking news that the Vatican now permits official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem,” he said.[2] At a recorded Medjugorje press conference on April 5, 2017, the archbishop reconfirmed this fact.[3] Müller’s 2013 CDF statement that Catholics should not participate in any meetings in which the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions were taken for granted is now null and void. In Archbishop Hoser’s own words: “My mission was not to close Medjugorje, but to evaluate whether the pastoral ministry was proper, consistent with the doctrine and teaching of the Church, effective and well organized. I conclude that this is the case. On the pastoral side my assessment is very positive. Thus, the ongoing pastoral activities, liturgical order and conferences should continue.”[4]

At the conclusion of the press conference, in which he urged everyone to bring the light of Medjugorje “to the world that is sinking into darkness. . . ,” he stated, “You, my dear friends, should be the carriers of the joyful news. Say to the whole world that in Medjugorje we can find the light again!”[5]

Archbishop Hoser on Medjugorje altar

Archbishop Hoser celebrating his first Mass in Medjugorje for throngs of pilgrims

The Church took another positive step toward Medjugorje when on May 31, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Hoser as Special Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje. The Vatican declared that Monsignor Hoser would take up residence in Medjugorje in his new role “for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,” which means “at the disposal of the Holy See.” In Medjugorje, where belief in the authenticity of the apparitions is long-held due to the daily conversions, long lines of confessions, and miracles constantly witnessed by the locals, the news of Archbishop Hoser’s new position was received with great joy.[6]

It can safely be said that Medjugorje now has received as much official recognition as it can receive, given that the phenomenon is still going on. It is well known that two of the most illustrious saints of recent times, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Pope John Paul II, were ardent devotees of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje. Thanks to them and millions of the faithful, Medjugorje’s message of repentance, reconciliation, peace, and penance has spread across the globe.

St. Pope John Paul II's handwritten words about Medjugorje

St. Pope John Paull II’s handwritten note about his gratitude for Medjugorje

St. Pope John Paul II, when addressing American bishops at the Philadelphia Eucharistic Congress five years before Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje began, stated:

We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. . . We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore in God’s plan and a trial which the Church must take up!” 

Given that St. John Paul II understood that these days were those of the final confrontation, when he learned of Our Lady’s coming to Medjugorje and her words, “I have descended among you,” he knew her presence with us had now changed everything, victory was assured. To Monsignor Murilo Sebastiao Ramos Krieger, Archbishop of Florianopolis in Brazil, he stated, “Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!” He told friends, including Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek, who made the words public, that if he weren’t Pope, he’d be living in Medjugorje as a priest, helping to hear confessions. In the Pope’s own hand, he wrote to friends in Poland:

I thank Sophia for everything concerning Medjugorje. I too go there every day as a pilgrim in my prayers. I unite in my prayers with all those who pray there or receive a call for prayer from there. Today we have understood this call better. I rejoice that our time is not lacking people of prayer and apostles. (See the picture of this note in St. Pope John Paul II’s original handwriting.)

St. Pope John Paul II fully believed and told us in his will that “Victory when it comes, will be a victory through Maria!”

“Dear children, my real living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety!”

            —Medjugorje message from Our Lady on July 2, 2016 

Denis Nolan
MaryTV.tv
Author of Medjugorje and the Church

Of Men and Mary bookThis article is excerpted from the Appendix of the new book, OF MEN AND MARY: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives, by Christine Watkins. Click here for more information about the book: www.queenofpeacemedia.com/of-men-and-mary. For the full text of this article, which gives more history of the Church’s stance on Medjugorje, click here

[1]  (Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993).

[2]  Jesús Colina, “Official pilgrimages to Medjugorje are being authorized, confirms Pope Francis’ envoy,” Aletia, December 7, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://aleteia.org/2017/12/07/official-pilgrimages-to-medjugorje-are-being-authorized-confirms-pope-francis-envoy/.

[3] Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference, April 5th, 2017, streamed live through MaryTV.tv and available for viewing at http://marytv.tv/daily-rosary-3-3/. MaryTV.tv. is a Medjugorje Internet TV channel that broadcasts 24/7 to help people stay connected to important ongoing events.  Free apps are available for smart phones and Apple TV.

Transcription of the press conference in Polish: “Konferencija za medije posebnog izaslanika mons. Henryka Hosera,” Medjugorje: Mjesto Molitve I Pomirenja, April 4, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, http://medjugorje.hr/hr/novosti/obavijesti/konferencija-za-medije-posebnog-izaslanika-mons.-henryka-hosera,8795.html.

[4] “Breaking News—Historic Moment in Catholic Church History…Vatican Special Envoy to Medjugorje: ‘Everything indicates that the apparitions will be recognized, perhaps even this year.’” Published at Deon.pl (Catholic News Site in Poland—8.18.2017), August 18, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://mysticpost.com/2017/08/breaking-news-historic-moment-catholic-church-history-making-vatican-special-envoy-medjugorje-everything-indicates-apparitions-will-recognized-perhaps-even-year/.

[5] Ibid., Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference

[6] “Breaking News: The Vatican places Special Apostolic Visitor in Medjugorje—Archbishop Henryk Hoser,” www.medjugorjemiracles, accessed May 31, 2018, https://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/2018/05/breaking-news-the-vatican-places-official-representative-in-medjugorje-archbishop-henryk-hoser/.

Divine Mercy Sunday Promises for your soul. Don’t miss out! It’s not too late!

Divine Mercy Sunday, perhaps God’s greatest gift of our time.

In the 1930’s Our Lord Jesus requested through Saint Faustina Kowalska that a Feast of Mercy be established and solemnly celebrated in His Church on the First Sunday after Easter every year. The Lord said that this feast would be the “last hope of salvation.”

On the 22nd of February, 1931, Jesus Christ revealed this vision of himself to the young Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska. The image was painted and became a vessel to remind the world of God’s greatest attribute, His mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. The great promise of this day is the forgiveness of all sins and punishment due to sin for anyone who would go to Confession and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, on this very special Feast. According to Divine Mercy Productions, one may receive the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation, twenty days before or after Divine Mercy Sunday.

In the year 2000, after many years of study by the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, officially established this Feast of Divine Mercy and named it Divine Mercy Sunday. He died on the vigil day of this feast and was beatified on May 1, 2011, on that same feast. And now on Divine Mercy Sunday,  April 27th, 2014, he will be canonized a saint!

Why would Jesus offer us something so great right now? Jesus told St. Faustina that she was to prepare the world for His Second Coming and that He would be pouring out His Mercy in great abundance as a very last hope of salvation, before He comes again as the Just Judge.

From the Diary of S. Faustina, 699, Jesus said: “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”

In Saint Faustina’s diary, she recorded that Jesus also indicated that He Himself is there in the confessional. Jesus told her, “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.” (1602)

Jesus knew that people would really need to hear these words of re-assurance today, so He went on to say “Come with faith to the feet of My representative…and make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light.” (1725)

Many feel that their sins are unforgivable but, Jesus said, “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. In the Tribunal of Mercy (the great sacrament of Confession) …the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated.” (1448) “Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy.” (1602)

“Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.” (1448) “Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.” (1074) “There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy.” (1273)

By Christine Watkins, inspirational speaker and author of Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession.

Video of Christine Watkins’ talk at the Notre Dame Medjugorje Conference

“Nothing is more important in life,” says Catholic author and speaker, Christine Watkins, “than climbing our way to heaven and helping others to come with us.” Mrs. Watkins is the founder of Queen of Peace Media (www.queenofpeacemedia.com), whose slogan is “Find your way Home.” God-given mission in life is to help people do just that. She gave her testimony of conversion at the 2012 Medjugorje Conference at Notre Dame, and since this video was posted, requests have come pouring in for the guided prayer meditation, called “Meeting Mary,” which closes her talk. (Should you wish to order a copy, click here: www.queenofpeacemedia.com/shop.)

The call to live Mary of Medjugorje’s messages is urgent, and the call isn’t for tomorrow, but for now: pray with the heart, in particular the Rosary; go to Mass, go to monthly Confession; read the Bible, and fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Is all of this easy? No. Is all of it possible? Yes. Click on the video below to hear Christine Watkins amazing testimony of conversion and to learn more about Mary’s messages. During the guided prayer meditation to Mary, you are encouraged to invite the Mother of God, herself, to speak to you, heal you, and guide you with her tender hand. Just as she came to everyone present at the conference, she will come to you.

Christine Watkins, MTS, LCSW, was a professional dancer with the San Francisco Ballet Company and an atheist, lost in sexual sin and the New Age Movement, before her miraculous healing and conversion to Catholicism, which saved her from death. She is an inspirational Catholic speaker and the author of two popular books of Medjugorje conversion stories: Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession and Of Men and Mary: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives; as well as the highly acclaimed Transfigured: Patricia Sandoval’s Escape from Drugs, Homelessness, and the Back Doors of Planned Parenthood. See www.ChristineWatkins.com.

Divine Mercy Sunday promises for your soul. Don’t miss out! It’s not too late!

Divine Mercy Sunday, perhaps God’s greatest gift of our time.

In the 1930’s Our Lord Jesus requested through Saint Faustina Kowalska that a Feast of Mercy be established and solemnly celebrated in His Church on the First Sunday after Easter every year. The Lord said that this feast would be the “last hope of salvation.”

On the 22nd of February, 1931, Jesus Christ revealed this vision of himself to the young Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska. The image was painted and became a vessel to remind the world of God’s greatest attribute, His mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. The great promise of this day is the forgiveness of all sins and punishment due to sin for anyone who would go to Confession and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, on this very special Feast. According to Divine Mercy Productions, one may receive the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation, twenty days before or after Divine Mercy Sunday.

In the year 2000, after many years of study by the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, officially established this Feast of Divine Mercy and named it Divine Mercy Sunday. He died on the very vigil day of this feast and was beatified on May 1, 2011, on that same feast!

Why would Jesus offer us something so great right now? Jesus told St. Faustina that she was to prepare the world for His Second Coming and that He would be pouring out His Mercy in great abundance as a very last hope of salvation, before He comes again as the Just Judge.

From the Diary of S. Faustina, 699, Jesus said: “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”

In Saint Faustina’s diary, she recorded that Jesus also indicated that He Himself is there in the confessional. Jesus told her, “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.” (1602)

Jesus knew that people would really need to hear these words of re-assurance today, so He went on to say “Come with faith to the feet of My representative…and make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light.” (1725)

Many feel that their sins are unforgivable but, Jesus said, “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. In the Tribunal of Mercy (the great sacrament of Confession) …the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated.” (1448) “Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy.” (1602)

“Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy!  You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.” (1448) “Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.”  (1074) “There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy.” (1273)

By Christine Watkins, inspirational speaker and author of Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession.

Divine Mercy Sunday promises for your soul. Don’t miss out! It’s not too late!

Divine Mercy Sunday, perhaps God’s greatest gift of our time.

In the 1930’s Our Lord Jesus requested through Saint Faustina Kowalska that a Feast of Mercy be established and solemnly celebrated in His Church on the First Sunday after Easter every year. The Lord said that this feast would be the “last hope of salvation.”

On the 22nd of February, 1981, Jesus Christ revealed this vision of himself to the young Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska. The image was painted and became a vessel to remind the world of God’s greatest attribute, His mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. The great promise of this day is the forgiveness of all sins and punishment due to sin for anyone who would go to Confession and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, on this very special Feast. According to Divine Mercy Productions, one may receive the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation, twenty days before or after Divine Mercy Sunday.

In the year 2000, after many years of study by the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, officially established this Feast of Divine Mercy and named it Divine Mercy Sunday. He died on the very vigil day of this feast and was beatified on May 1, 2011, on that same feast!

Why would Jesus offer us something so great right now? Jesus told St. Faustina that she was to prepare the world for His Second Coming and that He would be pouring out His Mercy in great abundance as a very last hope of salvation, before He comes again as the Just Judge.

From the Diary of S. Faustina, 699, Jesus said: “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”

In Saint Faustina’s diary, she recorded that Jesus also indicated that He Himself is there in the confessional. Jesus told her, “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.” (1602)

Jesus knew that people would really need to hear these words of re-assurance today, so He went on to say “Come with faith to the feet of My representative…and make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light.” (1725)

Many feel that their sins are unforgivable but, Jesus said, “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. In the Tribunal of Mercy (the great sacrament of Confession) …the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated.” (1448) “Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy.” (1602)

“Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy!  You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.” (1448) “Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.”  (1074) “There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy.” (1273)

By Christine Watkins, inspirational speaker and author of Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession.

Mary of Medjugorje comes to save young man through apparition on the Internet!

I have heard many beautiful stories of Mary coming to a person and pulling them out of darkness in an instant, with her overwhelming embrace of love, and this is perhaps the most immediate conversion I’ve encountered. And, of all ways, it happened through the Internet!

The visionary Ivan and Cardinal Schönborn

Coming Home through the Intercession of Our Lady

Scurrying down the steps, I frantically found myself in search of my gym shoes, which I’d misplaced the night before. I was due at the gym in five minutes to meet friends for a Thursday evening workout. Yes, once again, I was running late. At that exact moment, my phone rang. It was my mother: “Did you get a chance to watch Ivan’s and Marija’s apparition yet?” she asked. Responding impatiently, I replied “No mom, I’m already late as it is. I’ll watch it when I get back.” Sitting down to tie my shoes, I suddenly stopped. Feeling drawn towards the webcast of the Medjugorje visionaries’ apparition, and guilty for being reluctant with my mother, I gave in. It was the evening of September the 23rd, 2010, and my life, as I knew it, was never going to be the same.

My senior picture at Bryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska, back in my "cool" days

Growing up I attended St. Bernadette Catholic grade school. Although tuition was expensive, the sacrifice my parents endured was worth the Catholic-based education my siblings and I received. Their sacrifice instilled in me a foundation I would newly discover later in life. When I was in grade school, we attended weekly Mass, including Sundays. After my eighth grade year, I decided to enroll in a public high school, solely for athletic reasons, and found myself going to Mass on Sundays only. And to be honest, the only reason I went is because my parents forced me and my twin brother to go; if I’d had it my way, I would have slept in until noon.

Life at this time was going as planned. I graduated from high school and entered my first year of college. College was exciting: new friends, new environment, living away from my parents. However, with this newly acquired freedom came the element of choice. I suddenly found myself choosing not to attend Mass. At this stage in my life, I became distant from God and the Catholic Church. I obtained a job working security at a downtown club and started traveling down a dead-end path. I found myself going home with various women whom I met at work. On several occasions, I ended up at strip-clubs until the early morning hours. With after-hour parties taking place weekly, there wasn’t a weekend when I was in bed sleeping before the sun came up. I would drive home intoxicated, past the church I used to attend, observing families arriving at morning Sunday Mass. The devil had me right where he wanted me, and I was only adding fuel to his fire. My life continued on this path for the next several years.

One evening my mother invited me to attend a speaking engagement at our local parish, where a man, having returned from the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, gave a testimony of his recent trip to the small town located near Bosnia and Herzegovina. I reluctantly went, only because it would make my mother happy. As I sat there that night, I heard the man talk about a place where six visionaries were experiencing apparitions of Our Blessed Mother. I had no clue about Medjugorje, and to be completely honest, I didn’t care and wasn’t really paying attention. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

Myself and one of God's greatest gifts to me, my twin brother. We were born on December the 8th, the feast day of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception

Time passed until last September, 2010. As a gift, my mother gave me a book that left a great impression on me. The book was titled, Queen of the Cosmos: Interviews with the Visionaries of Medjugorje. I took the book to work where it sat on my desk for several weeks, collecting dust. One day while sitting at work, with an hour or so to spare, and nothing else to do, I did something that would forever impact the depths of my soul. I opened the book and began to read. In this book, the visionaries shared how they saw the Virgin Mary, as I’ve never heard Her described, comparing Her beauty to beyond our comprehension. As I continued to read, I began to fall completely in love with the lady whom they were describing. After reading the book in just two days, I knew nothing but understood everything. This young, pure, loving, vibrant woman was my Mother, and I was Her son. I developed a passion and curiosity for the apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje, and this marked the beginning of what I call my miraculous conversion through her intercession.

A week after I’d read the Queen of the Cosmos book, my mother informed me that an apparition would be streamed live through the internet to various parts of the globe; and not only this, but according to the visionary Ivan, special graces would be granted to those witnessing the broadcast of the apparition, no matter where they were located. Although I felt somewhat reluctant to take time to observe the apparition, I was extremely excited to see the visionaries Ivan and Marija communicate with the Mother of God.

The visionaries Marija and Ivan at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna for their September 23, 2010 apparition

The date was September 23, 2010, at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. As I sat witnessing this live event on the Internet, I felt someone surround me with her presence, as though she had entered the room. I quickly looked up, expecting to see someone standing there. I didn’t see anyone, yet the person’s presence was becoming more and more intense. I describe it as if someone were standing with their face inches from yours, but you’re unable see anyone. At that moment, I felt a love that was not of this world, a love more pure that anything I’ve ever experienced. I was so overcome with the love radiating from this person in the room with me that I began to cry. In my humanity, I couldn’t comprehend the love that was being bestowed upon me. I could feel it radiating off of me. I compare it to someone running a high fever, being able to physically feel the heat emanating from his body. And I knew exactly who was in the room with me. I yelled out, “Mary!” “Mary!” “Mary!” while crying uncontrollably. My heart expanded like fire, “Mary!” I exclaimed. “Mary, I love you!” “I love you, Mary!” This love became so intense I put my hands over my face and continued crying. I asked aloud, “What’s happening to me?” “What is happening?” and cried, “Mary!” “Mary!” “Mary!” in between sobs. Finally, unable to stop my tears, I yelled out, “Show me yourself!” “Let me see you, Mary!” “Mary, please. I know you’re here. Please allow me to see you with my eyes!”

That night of September 23rd, 2010, I was twenty-four years old, still very young, and with my whole life ahead of me. However, after feeling the love of Mary, I was truly ready to die. I never saw her with my eyes, but I felt her with my whole being. Knowing that I could never receive that same love from anything or anyone here on Earth, I was ready to leave this world and go with Our Blessed Mother. It was a love so indescribable that at one point I cried out, “Mary, I’m ready to go. Mother, if you want to, take me with you, I’m ready.” And I meant this from the depths of my soul.

Growing up Catholic, I had received the Sacrament of Reconciliation many times, confessing my sins, not out of sorrow, but due to the fear of hell. As I sat wondering if my tears were ever going to cease, I realized that for the first time in my life, I was truly sorry for everything I’d done. I mean I was truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. I managed to pick my head up, and with tears streaming down my face, for the first time, I looked to God and said, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” And I truly meant it.

After experiencing this miraculous conversion, I did one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life. I gave my yes to God; I gave Him complete control over my life. I figured I’d messed things up enough; and by turning the reigns over to Him, I couldn’t go wrong. Ever since giving God and Mother Mary my yes, I’ve been blessed with many gifts. Six months after my conversion, my mother and I flew to Sacramento, California, for a Medjugorje conference. To our surprise, the Medjugorje visionary, Marija, was present there. If you recall, Marija was one of the visionaries I observed at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. At the conference, I was able to meet and receive a hug from Marija: an incredible gift from God and Our Blessed Mother!

My Mother and I at the 2011 Sacramento Marian Conference. Here I was able to meet and be present with Medjugorje visionary, Marija Pavlovic, during her apparition with Our Blessed Mother.

My life hasn’t been the same since the evening of September 23, 2010. I have taken Our Lady’s messages to heart: fasting, praying the rosary, receiving the sacraments. I also recently joined a Bible study on campus. I have to laugh because growing up I was always extremely close to my mother. God saw that I was slipping away from Him and knew exactly what to do. He sent His Mother to bring Me back to Him. There isn’t a day or hour that goes by when I’m not thinking about Mary. I love her so much, and I’m so happy to have her as my Mother. I recently heard a man quote a wonderful phrase that I knew directly related to me. He said, “When my time comes. When I die and leave this world and am standing in front of Jesus at Heaven’s gates, Jesus will look at me and say, “Oh yes, My Mother has told Me all about you.” I’m so thankful for Our Lady’s intercession. She saved my life and healed my soul, bringing me closer to Her Son. I can’t help but feel excited, as I sit in anticipation, wondering where this new found love will lead me next.

Adam Holubar (Omaha, NE), edited by Christine Watkins

Read more stories, such as this, in the book, Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession.

Best video to capture the peace of Medjugorje, called “Why Medjugorje”

“WHY MEDUGORJE” is a new documentary film by Croatian director Josip Loncar. It recalls his own personal experience when he visited Medugorje for the first time in 1987. As an added bonus, the film’s narration is by the renowned scripture scholar Tony Hickey. In Loncar’s words, Hickey narrates: “I came to Medjugorje in order to experience the love of God.  believed in God, but still, I didn’t have the experience of His great love. I was there for three days, and I didn’t see any kind of miracle, I had not met any of the visionaries, and I hadn’t experienced anything I could describe as being extraordinary. But at the end of my visit, I did experience the most important thing of all, God Himself.”

This film very much captures the ‘Spirit of Medjugorje’ from a pilgrim’s perspective. It is 20 minutes long, and worth the time spent to see it.

Read these highly favorable YouTube comments about the video:

Top Comments

  • Absolutely beautiful!…I have viewed several films on Medjugorje, and this is without doubt the best and most balanced I have come across.

    medufan 5 months ago 3

  • This is one of the best videos of Medjugorje, I’ve ever seen. I loved the background music, the narration of what goes on, and the filming too is perfect. I pray that millions of people will go to Medjugorje thanks to your effort. God Bless you.

    ruthschurter 3 months ago

  • Well done! You made me miss Medjugorje (I just made my first visit there just about a month ago).

    medjugorjebookreview 4 months ago

  • The BEST…..The Truth…..Thank you !

    God Bless

    peterwschlamp 4 months ago

  • Having been there twice, I can attest that this video is the best representation of exactly what I feel when I go there. Thank you to the producers.

  • For more info on the film production, visit the website:
    http://www.whymedugorje.org/

 

Medjugorje blessing online, November 17. Don’t miss it!

 

Mary will bless apparition viewers online

Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic’s apparition on November 17 in the Cathedral of Vienna will be live-streamed. According to Ivan, the Virgin Mary will bless all online viewers who pray along and follow the apparition, as if they had been physically present. Religious items brought next to the computer will also be blessed.

A six-digit number of people from all over the world will be praying in front of their computers when Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic’s apparition on November 17 in Vienna, Austria, is being live-streamed in English and Spanish by MaryTV, and in German by Kathnet.

Log onto <http://marytv.tv/>, and then click the “Live Event Link,” at 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time* (appariiton at 12:40 pm EST).  MARY TV will be streaming the evening live both in English and Spanish.

Here is the schedule for November 17, 2011:

10:00 AM EST: (4:00 PM Vienna time) Testimonies from Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of MARY’s MEALS, Char Vance from the US (and others coming from Medjugorje)….
11:30 AM EST: Testimony from Medjugorje visionary, Ivan Dragicevic (5:30 PM Vienna time)
12:00 Noon EST: Rosary  (6:00 PM Vienna time)
12:40 PM EST: Our Lady’s apparition to Ivan (6:40 PM Vienna time)
1:00 PM EST: Mass (Presider and Homilist, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, 7:00 PM Vienna time)
2:00 PM EST: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (8:00 PM Vienna time)
3:00 PM EST: Adoration ends (9:00 PM Vienna time)

 

Recordings of the live event in St. Stephens will continue to be available on MaryTV’s website. During last year’s evening of prayer in St. Stephens Cathedral, Our Lady came very joyful,  Ivan said. This event can still be watched in the video library at www.marytv.tv.  On that occasion Cardinal Schoenborn welcomed visionaries Marija Pavlovic Lunetti and Ivan Dragicevic:  “Dear Marija, dear Ivan, thank you – first of all – that you came!  Thank you that you came again! Thank you for your service across so many years – for your work – for your service of being messengers of the Gospa.  You bring us – children of this world, children of humanity – her love and her presence and may God pay you back one hundred fold for what you are doing tirelessly!”

 

“Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!” Blessed Pope John Paul Il
(Why He Is A Saint, the Life and Faith of Pope John Paul ll and the Case for Canonization, p. 168, by Msgr. Slawomir Oder, Postulator for his Cause of Sainthood)

 

*To view a chart with your local time equivalent for the Live Streaming Event in Vienna on Nov. 17, 2011 – click on the following link:

 

 

 

The most famous exorcist in the world, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, has harsh words for those who ignore Medjugorje

 Father Gabriele Amorth is the leader of Rome’s six exorcists. He is also the most famous Catholic exorcist in the world. People come to see him from all round the world to ask for help in defeating satanic oppression, in other words, to combat the devil in all his various activities against mankind.

Now 86 [born in 1925], he belongs to the Society of St. Paul, the Congregation founded by James Alberione in 1914. Known for his intense activity in mass communication. Fr. Gabriele too, for many years, was involved in media, and edited the magazine, Mother of God. As well as a theology degree, Fr. Gabriele has graduated in law. Having written many books and essays about the Virgin Mary, he has acquired the title of expert in Mariology, has been nominated as a member of the Pontifical International Marian Academy. But since having been entrusted with the role of exorcist in the diocese of Rome, his time has been completely consumed by his new ministry. These days he is considered the world’s leading expert on problems concerning Satan and his evil activity towards the  human person. He is the “doctor” par excellence for illnesses caused by evil, the “surgeon” who knows how to root them out, fight, and prevent them.

In an interview Fr. Amorth granted to Renzo Allegri, which was published in “Messenger: St. Anthony,” amost a decade ago, he states:

“I would never have thought I’d be asked by the Church to carry out such a difficult mission. Ugo Poletti sent me the mandate when he was vicar of the diocese of Rome and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). Luckily, at the beginning, I was the helper of one of the greatest exorcists that ever existed, Fr. Candido Amantini, a holy man whose cause for beatification is about to be opened. He was an exorcist in Rome for thirty-six years and was an incredible teacher.”

Renzo Allegri writes, “It is difficult to arrange a meeting with Fr. Amorth especially as he never has a moment free. For this interview he managed to spare a few hours one Thursday morning, but even during our conversation, he received telephone calls from people all over the world who were in need of him. ‘It is incredible,’ he says, ‘to see how many people look for an exorcist, and unfortunately there are few priests who are able to help them. For several centuries, the Church has overlooked the ministry of exorcism.'”

“He speaks with determination. His faith is unwavering, based on the Scripture and on the teachings of the Church. He reveals a deep knowledge of the subjects he discusses, extensive experience sustained by numerous case histories. ‘I think I must have carried out over 70,000 exorcisms in my lifetime. The problems I am called to deal with every day concern people who are suffering physically, psychologically and spiritually. These problems are caused by the Devil. At times they are so serious they lead a person to suicide or death. Faced with many priests who reveal themselves to be skeptical, indifferent, or who consider these problems to be the fruit of imagination or obsession, I get very angry. Contemporary religious culture, while not negating the existence of Satan and the other rebellious angels, is inclined to diminish their influence over people. Discrediting this influence is almost compulsory and is considered a sign of wisdom. This mentality, which is completely wrong, is commonplace not only among lay people, but also among priests, theologians and even bishops, the practical consequences of which are far-reaching.’”

For Fr. Amorth, the devil is very real. He told “La Repubblica” that the devil was “pure spirit, invisible. But he manifests himself with blasphemies and afflictions in the person he possesses. He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, transform himself or appear to be agreeable. At times he makes fun of me.”

He said it sometimes took six or seven of his assistants to hold down a possessed person. Those possessed often yelled and screamed and spat out nails or pieces of glass, which he kept in a bag. “Anything can come out of their mouths – finger-length pieces of iron, but also rose petals.”

He  hoped every diocese would eventually have a resident exorcist. Under Church Canon Law any priest can perform exorcisms, but in practice they are carried out by a chosen few trained in the rites. He was among Vatican officials who warned that J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels made a “false distinction between black and white magic.” He approves, however, of the 1973 film The Exorcist, which although “exaggerated,” offered a “substantially exact” picture of possession.”

Throughout the years, Fr. Amorth has embraced Medjugorje. He has called the place, “a great fortress against Satan.” The following is a September, 2011 interview on Radio Maria with Fr. Gabriele Amorth. Fr. Amorth was speaking before the backdrop of the Virgin Mary’s message of August 25, 2011, when she said:

“Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said ‘yes’, be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

“How bitter, how bitter was the last message of Our Lady of Medjugorje on August 25: ‘Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call,'” Fr. Gabriele Amorth first commented.

“Now look here; it is very sour, this balance. After more than thirty years! More than thirty years! Now if it is the pagans who don’t listen to Our Lady’s words, then that I can understand. But be you a Christian, it is not forgivable. Be you a Christian!”

“Even priests and bishops don’t even want to hear about it. It is not that they went there and then made their decision fairly, after seeing things for themselves. No! They don’t even want to hear it being spoken about!”

“The Gospel is so clear. It tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been thirty years that Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than thirty years!” the exorcist reminded on Radio Maria.

 “In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to warn of the betrayals of the Jewish people. Now, here to warn of the betrayal of the Christian people, also the priests, God sends us His Mother! It has been thirty years! Is it possible that people still do not hear? And as for those people who believe themselves to be intelligent by saying they’ll wait until the Church approves? They are fools!” said Fr. Gabriel Amorth.

 

By Christine Watkins

Article excerpted and adapted from

http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/?s=Fr.+Gabriele+Amorthhttp://www.medjugorje.org/framorth1.htm

http://madonnamedjugorje.com/index.php?p=news&ID=3857

http://www.messengersaintanthony.com/messaggero/pagina_articolo.asp?IDX=174IDRX=56