The Spirit of Medjugorje Online

SPECIAL EDITION - Revised: January, 2006

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Suppose you were told that you could have a glimpse of Heaven without having a near-death experience?

In the early 1980's, 17 year old Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic and 10 year old Jakov Colo, visionaries from the village of Medjugorje in what is now Bosnia-Herzegovina, had such an opportunity. Vicka claimed,

" Our bodies disappeared from Jakov's house. Everyone looked for us. It lasted 20 minutes in all." Vicka described the experience:

" One afternoon, I was with Jakov at his home and Our Lady came, telling us that She was going to take us to show us Heaven, hell and purgatory. Before we left, we were wondering how long the journey was going to take, whether we would go up, or down, or how many days we would be

traveling. But Our Lady just took Jakov's left hand and my right hand and we went up. We could see the walls just moving aside, giving us enough space to go through. It took us just a moment, and we found ourselves in Heaven.

Heaven is one, huge endless space. There is a special kind of light that does not exist on earth at all. We saw people dressed in gray, yellow, and pink gowns. They were walking, praying and singing together. We were able to see small angels circling around. There is a special kind of joy in Heaven. I have never experienced anything like that at any other time. Our Lady told us to see how overjoyed were all the people who were in Heaven.

caption: This photo captures the “miracle of the
sun” in Medjugorje. The shape of the sun is called
“the door to Heaven.”

"Purgatory is also one huge space, but we were not able to see people. We could only see darkness -- an ashy color. We were able to feel the physical suffering of the people. They were shivering, and struggling. Our Lady said we need to pray for those people so that they can get out of Purgatory.

"As for hell, there is one huge fire in the middle. First, we were shown people in normal condition before they were caught by that fire. Then as they are being caught by that fire, they become the shape of animals, like they have never been humans before. As they are falling deeper into the fire, they yell against God even more. Our Lady says that, for all those who are in hell it was their choice, their decision to get there. Our Lady says for all those who are living here on earth who are living against God's commands, even here they are living in a kind of hell so when they are there, they are continuing just the same life as before. Our Lady says that there are so many who live here on the earth who believe that when this life is finished, everything is finished, but Our Lady says, if you think so, you are very wrong, because we are just passers by on the earth. "

So how do we get in the door to Heaven? Jesus told us 2000 years ago, but for those who did not listen to Him, He sent His Mother, as the Queen of Peace to remind us and remind us and remind us…..

Since 1981 She has been coming to earth every single day to tell us how to live so that we can enjoy eternal happiness and avoid eternal damnation. When will we begin to listen?

We pray that this guide will kindle a fire in your heart to learn more about Our Lady's messages, so you can live a life of peace, love and joy, both now and in eternity.

In the Beginning

caption: The visionaries of Medjugorje in the early days.

Medjugorje is a small mountain village in the region of Bosnia, Herzegovina, the former Yugoslavia. This true story

takes place in the Bijakovici section of Medjugorje.

On the afternoon of June 24, 1981, at approximately six o’ clock in the evening, on the area of Crnica hill known as

Podbrdo, two young girls, Ivanka Ivankovic, age 15, and Mirjana Dragicevic, age 16, were returning home from a walk

when they saw an incredibly beautiful woman. She didn’t say anything to them but indicated with gestures to come closer.

They were afraid to come near, even though they immediately thought Her to be Our Lady.

The next day, June 25, the two girls returned to the hill with four others -Vicka Ivankovic, age 16, Ivan Dragicevic, age

16, Maria Pavlovic, age 16, and Jakov Colo, age 10. A figure in white was calling them to come up the hill. The children were

somehow transported in some mysterious way to a beautiful Lady who called Herself the “Queen of Peace.” On the third

day, She told the children that She was the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the fourth day, She appeared three times to the children.

For priests, She gave this message: “May the priests firmly believe and may they take care of the faith of the people!” She told

the children, “Do not be afraid of anything.”

In a talk given on September 12, 1998, Mirjana recounted the first days:

And that day, June 24, 1981, I went out for a walk with Ivanka. It was the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and so that day

no one was working. The two of us went for a walk below the hill that is now called the Hill of Apparitions, and we talked

about ordinary things, the kinds of things young girls talk about. And in one moment Ivanka said to me, “I think Our Lady

is on the hill.” She said that very matter-of-factly. I said, “Well, She has nothing better to do than come to the two of us.”

Because I thought that was [an] impossible thing. And I returned home and left Ivanka there. And when I came to the first

houses of the village, I felt a need to return to the place. I needed to see what she was doing. And when I returned, I saw

Ivanka in the same place. And she said to me, “Look, please, I am begging you.” And I looked and I saw a woman with a long

grey dress and She was holding a child in Her arms. It was very strange because on that hill nobody ever went up there,

especially with a child in their arms. The two of us just stared because all of our emotions were all confused within us. And

in that moment, Ivan, one of the other visionaries, came also because that was the way he would normally walk to get to his

home. I remember it like it was today. He was carrying apples in his arms and when he saw what the two of us were looking at, like every brave man, he

dropped everything and ran. And then I said to Ivanka, “Who knows what this is; maybe it is better we leave also.”

We returned home right away, and we told everyone that we have seen Our Lady but nobody believed us. My grandmother said, “Take a Rosary and

pray and leave Our Lady alone.” I had the desire within me to be alone to pray. And so that entire night we spent in prayer, so that God could help us

understand what was happening to us. And the next day Jakov and Marija were the only ones who said, “How lucky you are, we wish we could have seen Our Lady also.”

And the next day we all found ourselves at the Hill of Apparitions without having called one another there. And with us came our parents or

our uncles. I could say to you that it was probably the entire village gathered there because everyone wanted to see what was

happening to the children. And we saw Our Lady in the same place, but this time She didn’t have a child in Her arms. And

that second day, June 25, 1981, is the first time we went to Our Lady, and that day many people from the village saw many

signs from Our Lady, so they believed us because without them we could not have endured some of the stuff we endured later.

I think that might have been Our Lady’s plan, to help them understand that it was true. And in the former Yugoslavia it was

not easy to be a believer but especially not easy to be a visionary.

After a few days, the army immediately encircled the hill, and they said if anyone would go up on the hill, they would

go to jail immediately. And so, we had to have the apparitions in secret places, and many of the people in our village helped

with this. And so, I think it was Our Lady who truly helped them to understand and believe we were speaking the truth

because we needed their help. My parents at that time were in Sarajevo. My aunt felt a responsibility, and she called my

parents. My aunt said, “Something is happening to her.” And my mother got very scared and she said, “Well, what is it?”

And my aunt said, “Well, she is saying she is seeing Our Lady.” And my mother asked, “Is she normal?” And my aunt said,

“Well, she looks the same as she looked before.” And then my mom said, “Well, then she is speaking the truth.”

According to the visionaries, the Lady, known in Croatian as Gospa, has been giving messages to the seers and to the

world ever since that day. To date She has given thousands of messages. At first the messages were almost daily, later they

were just on Thursdays. In January of 1987, Our Lady told the seers She would begin to give messages to the world on a

monthly basis, on the 25th of each month. Though there are thousands of messages, there are 5 primary ones. The basic

messages consist of peace, prayer, conversion, fasting, and faith.

The Visionaries

Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic - Vicka is the oldest of the visionaries. She was born September 3, 1964, in Bijakovici, and comes from a family of 8 children. Her prayer mission given by Our Lady is to pray for the sick. Vicka, her husband Mario, and young daughter & son live in the small village of Gruda, a few kilometers north of

Medjugorje. In January of 1983, Our Lady began to tell Vicka Her life story. The information Our Lady dictated

to Vicka over these two years is contained in two hand written notebooks and will be published when Our Lady

tells Vicka it is time. Vicka: “The only way to peace and love is prayer and fasting.”

Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo - Mirjana was born March 18th, 1965 in Sarajevo. Her prayer mission from

Our Lady is to pray for all unbelievers. Mirjana graduated from the University of Sarajevo where her family

lived. Mirjana, her husband Marco, and their two daughters live in Medjugorje. On August 2, 1987, Our Lady

started appearing to Mirjana on the 2nd day of each month to pray with Mirjana for all unbelievers. Mirjana

tells us that Our Lady defines “unbelievers” as those who have not yet felt God’s love. She tells us that if we

only once saw the tears in Our Lady’s eyes for all unbelievers, that we would all begin praying intensely for this

intention. Mirjana: “The Mass, the Rosary, and fasting, especially on bread and water only, can stop war, can

change the natural law, particularly if they are done with great faith and great trust and great love.”

Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti – Marija was born on April 1, 1965, in Bijakovici. Her prayer mission given by

Our Lady is to pray for all the souls in purgatory. She has three brothers and two sisters. When the apparitions

started, she was studying in Mostar, about eighteen miles away. She is the visionary to whom Our Lady gives

the public message to the world on the 25th of each month. Marija, her husband Paulo and their four children

live in Italy. She visits Medjugorje a number of times each year. Marija: “Fear comes from Satan. Those who

trust the Lord do not experience fear.”

Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez - Ivanka was born on July 21, 1966, in Bijakovici. Ivanka’s prayer mission from

Our Lady is to pray for families. Ivanka has one brother and one sister. Her Mother Jagoda, died in May 1981.

When the apparitions first began, Ivanka asked the Blessed Mother about her mother. God has allowed Ivanka

to see and speak to her mother, who is in Heaven, five times over the years. Ivanka and her husband Raico and

their three children live in Medjugorje. Ivanka: “People know whether they are living in God’s will or not by

how much peace they have. If they don’t feel peace in their hearts, they know they are not doing the right thing.

Those who are doing God’s will have peace.”

Ivan Dragicevic - Ivan was born on May 25th, 1965 in Bijakovici. His prayer mission given by Our Lady is to

pray for priests and the youth of the world. There are three younger children in his family and although Ivan

and Mirjana share the same last name, they are not related. Ivan, his wife Laureen and their three children

reside half the year in Medjugorje, and half the year in Boston, MA. Ivan: ”All prayer is pleasing to God. It is

Satan who always tells us our prayer is not good enough, that we are not good enough. The least prayer is very

much.”

Jakov Colo- Jakov is the youngest of the seers. He was born on March 6, 1971 in Sarajevo, and was only 10 years old when the apparitions started. His prayer mission given by Our Lady is to pray for the sick. Jakov, his wife

Annalisa and three children live in Medjugorje. In the early years, the presence of the young fidgety boy among

the group of seers is significant in terms of the authenticity of the apparitions. It was highly improbable that he

would come to church for two to three hours of prayer every single day, in winter as well as in summer, year

after year, simply to make believe that he is seeing the Blessed Virgin. Jakov: “We need to learn how to thank

God because He gave us too much, and we do not understand that. W e are constantly asking for more.”

Official Letter to Pope John Paul II

The following letter was written by Fr. Tomislav Vlasic to Pope John Paul II on December 2, 1983. Fr. Tomislav Vlasic's letter was the fulfillment of Our Lady's urgent request of him. It is the official letter of the former pastor of St. James Church in Medjugorje to Pope John Paul II about the events in Medjugorje. It reports on the revelations that Mirjana received in 1982 and entrusted to Fr. Vlasic on November 5, 1983. The letter reads as follows:

After the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on November 30, 1983, Maria Pavlovic came to me and said, 'The Madonna says that the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishop must be advised immediately of the urgency and great importance of the message of Medjugorje.' This letter seeks to fulfill that duty.

1. Five young people (Vicka Ivankovic, Maria Pavlovic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, and

Jakov Colo) see an apparition of the Blessed Virgin every day. The experience in which they see her is a fact that can bechecked by direct observation. It has been filmed. During the apparitions, the youngsters do not react to light, they do not hear sounds, they do not react if someone touches them, they feel that they are beyond time and space. All of the youngsters basically agree that:

"We see the Blessed Virgin just as we see anyone else. We pray with her, we speak to her, and we can touch her."
"The Blessed Virgin says that world peace is at a critical stage. She repeatedly calls for reconciliation and conversion."

"She has promised to leave a visible sign for all humanity at the site of the apparitions of Medjugorje."
"The period preceding this visible sign is a time of grace for conversion and deepening the faith."
"The Blessed Virgin has promised to disclose ten secrets to us. So far, Vicka Ivankovic has received eight. Marija Pavlovic received eight. Jakov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic and Ivanka Ivankovic have each received nine. Only Mirjana Dragicevic has received all ten."
"These apparitions are the last apparitions of the Blessed Virgin on earth. That is why they are lasting so long and occurring so frequently."

2. The Blessed Virgin no longer appears to Mirjana Dragicevic. The last time she saw one of the daily apparitions was Christmas 1982. Since then the apparitions have ceased for her, except on her birthday (March 18, 1983). Mirjana knew that this would occur. According to Mirjana, the Madonna confided the tenth and last secret to her during the apparition on December 25, 1982. She also disclosed the dates on which the different secrets will come to pass. The Blessed Virgin has revealed to Mirjana many things about the future, more than to any of the other youngsters so far. For that reason I am reporting below what Mirjana told me during our conversation on November 5, 1983. I am summarizing the substance of her account, without word-for-word quotations: Mirjana said that before the visible sign is given to humanity, there will be three warnings to the world. The warnings will be in the form of events on earth. Mirjana will be a witness to them. Three days before one of the admonitions, Mirjana will notify a priest of her choice. The witness of Mirjana will be a confirmation of the apparitions and a stimulus for the conversion of the world. After the admonitions, the visible sign will appear on the site of the apparitions in Medjugorje for all the world to see. The sign will be given as a testimony to the apparitions and in order to call the people back to the faith.
     The ninth and tenth secrets are serious. They concern chastisement for the sins of the world. Punishment is inevitable, for we cannot expect the whole world to be converted. The punishment can be diminished by prayer and penance, but it cannot be eliminated. Mirjana says that one of the evils that threatened the world, the one contained in the seventh secret, has been averted, thanks to prayer and fasting. That is why the Blessed Virgin continues to encourage prayer and fasting: 'You have forgotten that through prayer and fasting you can avert war and suspend the laws of nature.' After the first admonition, the others will follow in a rather short time. Thus, people will have some time for conversion. That interval will be a period of grace and conversion. After the visible sign appears, those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin invites us to urgent conversion and reconciliation. The invitation to prayer and penance is meant to avert evil and war, but most of all to save souls. According to Mirjana, the events predicted by the Blessed Virgin are near. By virtue of this experience, Mirjana proclaims to the world: 'Hurry, be converted; open your hearts to God.'
     In addition to this basic message, Mirjana related an apparition she had in 1982, which we believe sheds some light on some aspects of Church history. She spoke of an apparition in which Satan appeared to her disguised as the Blessed Virgin. Satan asked Mirjana to renounce the Madonna and follow him. That way she could be happy in love and in life. He said that following the Virgin, on the contrary, would only lead to suffering. Mirjana rejected him, and immediately the Virgin arrived and Satan disappeared. Then the Blessed Virgin gave her the following message in substance: 'Excuse me for this, but you must realize that Satan exists. One day he appeared before the throne of God and asked permission to submit the Church to a period of trial. God gave him permission to try the Church for one century. This century is under the power of the devil; but when the secrets confided to you come to pass, his power will be destroyed. Even now he is beginning to lose his power and has become aggressive. He is destroying marriages, creating divisions among priests and is responsible for obsessions and murder. You must protect yourselves against these things through fasting and prayer, especially community prayer. Carry blessed objects with you. Put them in your house, and restore the use of holy water.'
     According to certain Catholic experts who have studied these apparitions, this message of Mirjana may shed light on the vision Pope Leo XIII had. According to them, it was after having had an apocalyptic vision of the future of the Church that Leo XIII introduced the prayer to Saint Michael which priests used to recite after Mass up to the time of the Second Vatican Council. These experts say that the century of trials foreseen by Leo XIII is about to end.
     Holy Father, I do not want to be responsible for the ruin of anyone. I am doing my best. The world is being called to conversion and reconciliation. In writing to you, Holy Father, I am only doing my duty. After drafting this letter, I gave it to the youngsters so that they might ask the Blessed Virgin whether its contents are accurate. Ivan Dragicevic relayed the following answer: 'Yes, the contents of the letter are the truth. You must notify first the Supreme Pontiff and then the Bishop.' This letter is accompanied by fasting and prayers that the Holy Spirit will guide your mind and your heart during this important moment in history.

Yours, in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Father Tomislav Vlasic
Medjugorje, December 2, 1983

Editor’s update: As of this writing (8/19/04), two of the other visionaries have received the tenth secrets. Ivanka received her last daily apparition on May 7, 1988. Our Lady told Her she would have an apparition once a year on June 25, the anniversary of the apparitions. Jakov received his last daily apparition on September 12, 1998. Our Lady told him he would receive an apparition every year on Christmas Day. Vicka and Marija have received nine secrets. Also, Our Lady visits Mirjana every second of the month to pray with her for the conversion of non-believers.

In June of 1986, Pope John Paul II said, in response to a group of twelve Italian bishops seeking pastoral advice on people making pilgrimages to Medjugorje, “LET THE PEOPLE GO TO MEDJUGORJE IF THEY CONVERT, PRAY, CONFESS, DO PENANCE AND FAST.”

caption: Pilgrims on Cross Mountain

caption: stone from Apparition Hill with Madonna and Child

Signs and Wonders
By June Klins

On my first trip to Medjugorje I was very excited because it was anniversary time and I expected to see a lot

of miracles. I had heard that the sun spins like it did in Fatima and that some people see “gold dust” or the cross on Mt. Krizevac light up or disappears mysteriously. Well, after four trips there, I have never seen any phenomena like this, even while people standing right beside me were witnessing these things. Many people have miracle photos they took in Medjugorje. These signs and wonders are gifts that are given to certain people for a reason only God knows. On my first pilgrimage, I randomly picked up five stones on Apparition Hill. I later discovered that four of the stones had images on them. One has the face of Jesus with a fetus above His head, and the other three have Our Lady with Baby Jesus. I wondered why I got these stones. I certainly did not need them to believe. I carry these stones, which seem to have a pro-life message, in my purse and show them to people at any opportunity. The scriptures tell us that the gifts we receive should be shared with others.

What is the purpose of these signs and wonders? To get our attention! Jesus performed miracles from the

very beginning of His ministry on earth. The miracles were a means to an end. Once Jesus got their attention, He

could work the real miracles of changing hearts. The same is true in Medjugorje. The “miracle of the sun” is to show that God exists and then to point us to the real “miracle of the Son,” Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Those who go to Medjugorje must be on guard not to focus too much attention on the signs and wonders, at the risk of ignoring the abundant graces available in Medjugorje through a conversion of heart, the real sign and wonder at Medjugorje.

For Further Information...

To be “fed” monthly by Our Lady’s messages to the world, you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter “The Spirit of Medjugorje” by sending a free will offering along with your name and address to P.O. Box 6614, Erie, PA 16512.

Hopefully this publication has given you an introduction to Our Lady of Medjugorje and Her messages. For further information, we suggest you consult the hundreds of books and websites on Medjugorje. One book we particularly recommend is The Best of “The Spirit of Medjugorje.” It is an extension of what you have just read here. Catholic author Elizabeth Ficocelli calls it, “...a compelling presentation of articles that help the reader to understand what Medjugorje is all about —the messages, the visionaries, the testimonies of changed hearts and lives. It is both an excellent introduction to and an important recap of the most important apparitions of our times. Focused on the early years of the apparitions, it leaves the reader yearning for the next edition. “

We present to you here other books deemed as favorites by an informal survey taken several years ago with the members of the International Internet Medjugorje Prayer Group, which has ties to Ivan’s prayer group in Medjugorje. The members determined the following to be their favorite books on Medjugorje in this order:

1. Visions of the Children - Janice Connell

2. Medjugorje the Message - Wayne Weible

3. Final Harvest - Wayne Weible

4. Medjugorje the Mission - Wayne Weible

5. Queen of the Cosmos - Janice Connell

6. Pilgrimage - Fr. Svetozar Kraljevic

7. Pray with the Heart - Fr. Slavko Barbaric

8. Medjugorje in the 90’s - Sr. Emmanuel

9. Letters from Medjugorje - Wayne Weible

10. Medjugorje Day by Day - Fr. Richard Beyer

Suggested Medjugorje websites:

http://www.medjugorje.hr (The official Medjugorje website)

http://www.medjugorje.org (One of the most popular Medjugorje websites, has links to other sites too)

http://www.medjugorjeusa.org (This site was designed with the “doubting Thomas” in mind.)

http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com (Has excellent audio tapes and books by Sr. Emmanuel)

http://crownofstars.blogspot.com (Awesome photos and inspirational testimonies)

http://www.iipg-queenofpeace.org (International Internet Prayer Group, Queen of Peace)

Caution should be used in purchasing credible resources since there are some books and videos on the market that are “New Age” material. When in doubt seek advice from proper sources at the above websites.

“I am grateful to Our Lady of Medjugorje. I know that many people go there

and are converted. I thank God for leading us during these times this way.”

Mother Teresa

caption: Our Lady in front of St. James

Mary is Calling You!

“Dear children, I want you to comprehend that God has chosen each one

of you, in order to use you in His great plan for the salvation of mankind.

You are not able to comprehend how great your role is in God’s design.

Therefore, dear children, pray so that in prayer you may be able to

comprehend what God’s plan is in your regard. I am with you in order

that you may be able to bring it about in all its fullness. “(1/25/87)

“Dear children! Today I invite you to become missionaries of my messages,

which I am giving here through this place that is dear to me. God has

allowed me to stay this long with you and therefore, little children, I invite

you to live with love the messages I give and to transmit them to the

whole world, so that a river of love flows to people who are full of hatred

and without peace. I invite you, little children, to become peace where

there is no peace and light where there is darkness, so that each heart

accepts the light and the way of salvation.” (2/25/95)

"Dear children! Today I call you to be my extended hands in this world

that puts God in the last place. You, little children, put God in the first

place in your life. God will bless you and give you strength to witness

Him, the God of love and peace. I am with you and intercede for all of you.

Little children, do not forget that I love you with a tender love.”(2/25/05)

“Comprehend, little children, that you are today the salt of the earth and

the light of the world.” (10/25/96)

“Dear children, you know that for your sake I have remained a long time

so I might teach you how to make progress on the way of holiness.

Therefore, dear children, pray without ceasing and live the messages which

I am giving you for I am doing it with great love toward God and toward

you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (1/1/87)

caption: The Blue Cross in Medjugorje

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