The story of the reported apparition of Our Lady in Medjugorje will be highlighted in the bulletin over the next few weeks. The narrative will be divided into three sections: the highlights of the first 6 days of the apparition; the messages; and finally the ten secrets. It should be noted that the descriptions of these events were drawn from the internet and, in some instances, the author interprets certain situations.

The following is the first instalment of the visionaries reported stories.

Miracle at Medjugorje – a Short History
Medjugorje is a small rural village located in the mountains of Bosnia – Herzegovina. It is populated predominantly by Croatian villagers of strong Catholic faith. The world changed for the residents of Medjugorje on June 24th 1981 when six children made the astonishing claim that they had seen an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the side of a hill at approximately six o’clock in the evening. The children claimed that they saw an incredibly beautiful young woman with a little child in her arms. They said that she didn’t say anything to them, but indicated with gestures that they should come closer. Surprised and frightened, they were afraid to come near, even though they immediately thought her to be Our Lady.

The Second Day
On the second day, the 25th of June 1981, the children agreed to meet at the same place where Our Lady had previously appeared, in the hope of seeing her again. All of a sudden, there was a flash of light. They looked up and saw Our Lady, this time without the child. With her hands, she gestured for them to come closer. They moved forward, immediately fell to their knees, and began to pray the Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be to the Father. Our Lady prayed with them, except for when they prayed the Hail Mary. Our Lady finally left the children with the following words, “God be with you my angels.” When asked if they would see her the following day, she replied by nodding her head.

The Third Day
On the second day, the 25th of June 1981, the children agreed to meet at the same place where Our Lady had previously appeared, in the hope of seeing her again. All of a sudden, there was a flash of light. They looked up and saw Our Lady, this time without the child. With her hands, she gestured for them to come closer. They moved forward, immediately fell to their knees, and began to pray the Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be to the Father. Our Lady prayed with them, except for when they prayed the Hail Mary. Our Lady finally left the children with the following words, “God be with you my angels.” When asked if they would see her the following day, she replied by nodding her head.

Suddenly, while the children were waiting, a light flashed three times. They interpreted this as a sign indicating where to find Our Lady. On that same day, Our Lady appeared even higher up than on the previous day. All at once, Our Lady disappeared. But when the children began to pray, she reappeared. She was cheerful and smiling serenely and once again, her beauty was overwhelming.

As they left their houses earlier that day, some older women advised them to carry holy water with them to make sure that the apparitions were not Satan. One of the children took the water and splashed it in the direction of the vision, saying, “If you are our Blessed Mother, please stay; and if you are not, go away from us.” Our Lady smiled at this and said, “I am the Blessed Virgin Mary.” Following this, Our Lady then appeared to one of the children and said to her, “Peace, peace and only peace” and continued tearfully, stating, “Peace must reign between man and God and between all people.”

The Fourth Day
On the 27th of June 1981, Our Lady appeared three times to the children. On that occasion, the children asked all kinds of questions and she responded. For priests, she gave this message: "May the priests firmly believe and may they take care of the faith of the people."

Before parting, when asked if she would come again, she indicated that she would. She said goodbye with the words, “May God be with you my angels, go in peace.”

If you are interested in hearing from someone who has made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje describe their experience, next week there will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church to gauge interest.

Next Week: Days five, six and other information.