Tens of thousands of believers from all over the world yesterday experienced special emotions in Medjugorje on the marking of the 40th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions, where pilgrims from more than 20 countries came with their votive prayers and penances to seek spiritual peace.
Mass celebrations and prayer rites were held in the church from the early morning hours in different world languages and messages of peace, love, and consolation were sent to the believers along with many blessings.
The central evening Mass at 7 p.m., which gathered more than 20.000 believers in front of the external altar, was led by the Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina, Fr. Miljenko Steko, who recalled the unusual event 40 years ago when Our Lady appeared in Medjugorje for the first time in front of six innocent children.
“There is a history of these indelible 40 years that took on its unique eloquence in the phenomenon of Medjugorje, which today breathes in the church and with the church, collecting all the graces that the merciful God has poured out here. Thank you, Our Lady, for this gracious history, thank you, Queen of peace because above thorns in this stone you have imprinted the wholeness of your love into our lives, embraced us with your heavenly embrace, and given us the warmth of your motherly heart. Thank you for every feeling of peace when we come from your hectic everyday life to your statue, to your beauty, we stop and fold our hands, grateful that you have chosen our afflicted people and lowered your hand and embraced us with your kindness and grace, ” said, among other things, Provincial Steko in his sermon.
Stories and emotions of many people witnessed that they managed to find love, blessing, and peace of mind yesterday in Medjugorje.
Rita Spina from Italy said yesterday that she feels blessed because she is in Medjugorje and after she came to this pilgrimage, she will not be sad because of the fact she will have to go to quarantine when she returns to her country.
“I just had the feeling that I had to be here today and my happiness is endless. What I feel cannot be described,” a pilgrim from Italy told yesterday.
Emotions were shown also by Betty, Hanna, and Shamon from the Kingdom of Sweden because as they told in Medjugorje, after a difficult journey, they found the blessing and peace they needed, Klix
E.Dz.
