A taste of Medjugorie

A taste of Medjugorje, is a long overdue blog, of a beautiful testimony on a Pilgrimage back in 2019.

I am sharing this poignant and beautiful story as a witness to events, during the Youth Festival 2019.

I was privileged to look after pilgrims in a Pansion, for the first time. Oh what a Blessing that was. A group of pilgrims from all over the world were there for the youth festival. An annual event where 100’s of thousands of pilgrims along with about 500 priests, peacefully come together to worship Jesus. 

It was my 6th visit to Medjugorje and from the very first time the coach came round the bend and St James church came into view, I felt I was ‘home’. I long to go ‘home’ again soon. Medjugorie youth festival is like a taste of Heaven on earth.

My first visit had been a miracle in itself and I will blog about that another day.

Today’s testimony is of a broken hearted mother. 

During the earlier part of the week, the group had been waiting to go into dinner. We sat around chatting. ‘How we die’ was one of the subjects, sounds depressing but it was in relation to how Jesus comes to take us by the hand and calls us by name...

One of the lovely ladies, said she wasn’t sure about that, and shared with us the tragic story of her son.

He was an A student at Oxford University. He was doing incredibly well in his studies. Apparently one night he had a row with his ex girlfriend who called the police. They arrested him, took him to the cells and beat him. He died in that cell due to the injuries he received. He was  a young gentle black man.

The inquest failed to show the videos taken in the cells, they painted him as a drug taker and violent man.

For anyone who has experienced drug taking by their children or relatives will know it would be a very hard thing to be an A grade student at Oxford if he was a abusing drugs. His mum was adorable and gentle, she was broken, not only had her son been murdered but her gentle giant was painted as a treacherous, dangerous addict.

 Our hearts were filled with horror and sadness, this mother was beyond heartbroken. We could only rally round, pray and hug her.

The inquest had taken place two weeks before the Pilgrimage. He had died two years before. When the verdict came back accidental death, This amazing mum wanted to come to Medjugorie to ask Our Lady, ‘where is my son?’

She cried, and shared with us, when the guide had told us earlier in the week the story of Ivanka, one of the visionaries, who had asked Our Lady the same question....Mary had kindly shown the then teenager her late mother standing next to Our Lady during an apparition.

Crying she said she asked the guide afterwards, ‘please can I somehow see Ivanka?’

The guide replied that it could never happen during the youth festival. The Visionaries are asked to stay inside or to be on leave, unless they have an apparition, because so many would be keen to see them. The programme is designed for a weeks journey through prayer, worship, testimony, adoration, communion amongst many other things to be closer to Jesus.

This lovely mum was devastated. She felt if she could speak to Ivanka, she would gain great comfort, she may even be able to help her find the answer, as to where her son was.

We prayed she would find out before she left Medjugorie.

On the Wednesday we packed our bags, had breakfast and waited for the coach to transfer us back home.

As this beautiful lady put one foot on the steps of the coach she was downtrodden. She said to Our Lady, I thought I would know, I had faith coming here I would find out, but I am leaving none the wiser.

She was devastated as she had felt a real sense to book her flight to come last minute, as she would receive a sign.

A voice broke into her thoughts. “We are not going home today”.

There had a been a computer crash at Heathrow airport disrupting thousands of flights, those Pilgrims flying back to terminal 5 would have to stay until they fixed the problem.

She stepped back off the coach with a raised hope in her heart.

We were shocked and stunned this could happen, Liam, who owned the Pilgrimage company, was rushing round like a headless chicken trying to find a solution for the many Pilgrims from the two Pansions affected.

As I heard the news, I truly felt Our Lady speak to my heart, ‘and now you can stay with a visionary’. It was such a strong sense, I got extremely excited like a young child. Liam arrived and said we could not continue to stay at this Pansion, so he would look for alternative accomodation.

I suggested him calling Mirjana the visionary as he knew them all personally, and I had the pleasure of staying there on a previous trip. I told him excitedly I thought it was Our lady’s idea.

He was slightly reluctant as the festival had only just finished and he knew the rules. I begged him, so he texted her husband. They were away. Maria’s was fully booked.

He then said there was only Ivanka’s but that was out of the village and would require taxis to and from Medjugorje.

I pleaded with him saying no one would mind, we would be so Blessed. He did say it was an amazing place to stay, and Ivanka’s cooking was Heavenly and the best in the world.

This only encouraged me to plead more for him to ask.

He sighed and texted Ivanka’s son. He said they would pray about it and come back to us.

They did! And we could!

I knew this broken mum had wanted to speak to Ivanka, so couldn’t wait to share the news. We arranged for a bus to transport about 20 of us up to the hills.

The beautiful Pilgrims could not believe it, some were crying with emotion. This was a miracle for each of us, a huge Blessing. We sang on the coach with joy and gratitude in our hearts.

When we arrived Ivanka, her son and her husband were waiting to greet us all.

As we stepped forward she hugged us tight. To say you felt like being wrapped in the arms of Mary it would be an understatement. It was surreal.

They were so welcoming, we settled in our lovely rooms, then headed for dinner in their beautiful dining room. It was homely yet reverent. 

Ivanka’s son spoke perfect English, and helped his mother serve the incredible feast she had lovingly prepared.

After we had chatted, laughed and enjoyed the most exquisite food we had ever tasted, Ivan asked if we would like his mum to share her testimony for ten minutes.

Wow, what could we say? What a privilege, for those who know about Medjugorje, you will understand out pure joy at being there and having the opportunity to hear this humble Visionary’s testimony.

Silence fell as we listened intently with open hearts. Ivan interpreted for his mother. Ivanka shared the moment Our Lady presented her mother to her. And as a teenager she asked Mary if she could hug her mother, to which Mary said yes. 

It is an incredibly emotional testimony, showing how much Our Lady grieves with us.

After she finished, I stood up and asked politely if our sister in Christ could share her testimony about her late son, and how much she wanted to see Ivanka just to touch her, if nothing else, and now she was staying in her home, listening first hand to her story.

As this mum welled up with the sheer joy of hearing about Ivanka’s mum in Heaven, she finished with...’I just wanted to know where he was’...Ivanka moved over to her and gave the biggest hug, and said ‘And now you know’.

There was not a dry eye in that room. A miracle for sure. I’m certain all those thousands of people were not delayed just for this purpose, but I do know Our Lady had a plan, with Jesus to comfort the broken heart of a mother robbed of her son.

Our lady knows first hand how that feels. I was blown away by the whole amazing turn of events. It was a perfect ending to a very Blessed week. When this dear friend stepped on the coach to go home two days later, she went contented as her question had been answered in full. Hallelujah. Amen x

Please can we continue to pray for justice for her son and for those responsible to own up to their hideous crime. Thank you x