Brother Craig of The Monks of Adoration received his B.A., M.A. and S.T. L. in Theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He can be contacted at monkadorer@verizon.net.

 

 

A Very Blessed Time

By Fr. Neil Buchlein

   I have recently returned from Medjugorje and Siroki Brijeg, having been on retreat with Fr. Jozo.  For those who have been to see Fr. Jozo when you have visited Medjugorje, then you certainly know that he is a "walking saint."

    The four days that our group of 75 people, which included five priests, spent there were tremendously blessed.  I know that we all felt that we were "sitting at the feet of the master."  The days were long but none of us will ever look at prayer, the Rosary, Adoration, the Sacraments, and Mass the same ever again.  So as not to ruin it for anyone who would want to go, that is all I will tell you!   If you have never been on retreat with Fr. Jozo, then you need to go.  Once you do attend there is a waiting period of five years before you can go again.  There are so many people who want to go and the limit is 70 each time.  The past years there have only been two English speaking retreats.  There will be three retreats next year and there is still one this autumn

   While I was on retreat I was able to meet a petite four-year-old angel.  Her name is Mirna and she lives with her parents and seven year old brother.  Mirna is a happy little girl and is always smiling, even though she is unable to hear and also has mild cerebral palsy. Before going on retreat I had learned of the  opportunity to "sponsor" one of these handicapped children who come either daily or weekly to Fr.  Jozo's place for therapy.  I had mentioned the idea to my parish's small Medjugorje Prayer Group and they too became very excited.  I received Mirna’s picture and soon money and gifts were quickly being packed to take over for her.  The work that takes place at the facility is truly amazing and it is supported as with all of Fr.Jozo's works with donations.

  Earlier in the day I had met with Andjelka , who works in Father's office and had arranged for me to meet Mirna.  I saw two adults and two small children walking towards the building about 2 PM on Wednesday and decided that must have been Mirna and her family.  She was smiling from "ear to ear" and I introduced myself.  They followed me up to the office where Andjelka began to translate for them and myself.  She sat on her father's lap smiling and very content.  Her hair had been cut and I noticed a scar behind her right ear.  I had not known that she was deaf and had recently been to Mostar for surgery and received a cochlear implant.  She was now waiting for a hearing aid and would begin to learn to speak and also to sign.  Her father is unable to work since he had a tumor removed off of his spine and has left him with a colostomy.  To look at this family you would never know how badly in need they are and how they make ends meet.  The government paid for Mirna's implant which cost $20,000 Euros ($30,000 in dollars).

   I had brought Mirna a stuffed Snoopy and the Medjugorje Prayer Group had put a box of coloring books, picture books about the Saints, an envelope for her parents, and a picture of the prayer group.  I could tell that she did not have much exposure to unwrapping presents since I had to show her how to start to rip the paper.  I was certainly

hoping that I would not have to open my bag at any of the airports and show that I was traveling with a stuffed Snoopy.  What could I say if I was questioned?  Perhaps that I never grew up!  She unwrapped the gift very slowly handing the pieces of paper to all of us. When she opened the box the first item that she picked up was a picture of the prayer group in our Adoration Chapel.  They were all lined up in front of Our Lady of Fatima.  Right away Mirna started to point to the picture and then behind me.  She became very excited and started to make sounds as she pointed.  Here in the office was a statue of Our Lady.  Even though it happened so quickly my eyes began to tear up right way.  I could only wonder how and what she knew about Our Lady.  I immediately took her hand and began to take her picture in front of the statue.  With every picture I took she wanted to see it and continued to smile from "ear to ear."

   After about a meeting of twenty-five minutes Mirna left with her parents and brother smiling.  I found it very difficult to maintain my composure, especially when she came over and gave me a hug.  It was certainly a very blessed moment for me and certainly a tremendous blessing during the retreat.  I also knew that Mirna is very close to

Our Lady and that this was a meeting and the beginning of a new relationship that would not end.  I was able to tell the retreatants one night of this special encounter.  The retreat is silent but Fr. Jozo gives the opportunity to witness if one has the desire.

   So now I am back here in West Virginia but not for long since I will be going back over with a large group of pilgrims and staying with Mirjana and Jakov.  I am also "tapping" some of my doctors for samples of medicine for children.  If you are a pediatrician and are interested in helping, then please contact me.  It is really amazing how they are able to get along the way that they do.  I also had the opportunity to meet some other people after the retreat in Medjugorje who told me about the humanitarian aid they have been providing for so many years. 

   I am also in the process of working with a contact and Fr. Jozo's secretary in putting together a retreat just for  priests, which would be directed by Fr. Jozo.  Nothing is "set in stone" but I did speak with Fr. and he said that he would be available. Priests who may be interested can contact me.

Editor’s note: Fr. Neil is from Hurricane, WV.  You can contact him at frdude00@msn.com. Between his pilgrimages to Medjugorje he will be sending the medicine to his contact in Atlanta who will take it to Medjugorje.

 

Testimony of Zeljka Rozic

By June Klins

   Two years ago, when I went to Medjugorje for the 25th anniversary, we were blessed to have as our guide Zeljka Rozic, who is visionary Vicka’s cousin. Because it was anniversary time and there were so many groups there, Zeljka had to do double, and sometimes even triple duty, so we did not see her as much as we would have, had we gone at a different time. Zeljka was very apologetic about the situation, but it could not be helped and we all understood. 

We were just happy to have her as our guide. When Zeljka was with us, I took notes when she said things I thought would interest our readers and videoed her speaking a couple of times. Since we are approaching anniversary time again, I thought this might be a good time to share some of  Zeljka’s testimony.

   It was Sunday evening, when we arrived in Medjugorje, and because of delays we were too late for Mass at St. James. We had a priest with us, though, so we figured he would just have Mass for us at our pansion. However, there was a glitch. Zeljka told us that a number of years ago the bishop there had said Masses could not be said at the pansions. They had to be said in the Adoration Chapel or in St. James Church. So off she went to get special permission for us to have Mass in the chapel. She told us that the chapel was only open for Adoration till 6 PM because at that time everything on the church grounds closes so that people can join in the evening Croatian Mass.

Zeljka and Father Doug, our spiritual adviser, obtained permission and we had a beautiful Mass.

   On our first full day in Medjugorje, Zeljka spoke to us near the shade of a tree in front of St. James. She gave us some tips about staying safe and cool in the unusual heat wave they were experiencing that year. Then she shared some interesting stories with us.

   Zeljka told us that her aunt, Vicka’s mother, once told a story about when she and Vicka were in a train car with 6 people as Vicka’s apparition time approached. Vicka got quiet and was preparing for Our Lady to come. Vicka made the Sign of the Cross. She did not react to any poking or anything during the apparition. After the apparition was over, she made the Sign of the Cross again, and then went right on talking as if nothing had happened. She later told her mother that she was embarrassed, and did not want to call attention to herself.

   Zeljka said that the visionaries no longer have their apparitions on the church grounds in obedience to the bishop. When the visionaries were having their apparitions at the church, Our Lady would bless all religious items with Her Motherly Blessing during the apparition. But now since so few people would be able to be present for an apparition and have their items blessed by Our Lady, She would bless the religious items people brought to the church during the time of the apparition, 6:40 PM anyway. What a wonderful Mother to provide for Her children like this.  (She always stresses that religious items should be blessed by a priest also, which is the greater blessing.)

   Zeljka talked a little about Vicka’s suffering. She explained that Vicka had recently had back surgery and could not see pilgrims. Vicka was the only visionary not able to participate in the 25^th anniversary celebrations on June 24^th and 25^th. It must have been quite a cross for her, but Zeljka told us that Vicka willingly suffers for Our Lady’s intentions and has always had health problems of one kind or another.

   Zeljka said that one day she was looking over Vicka’s shoulder reading the notebook that tells the story of Our Lady’s life that Vicka will publish when Our Lady gives her the go-ahead. But when Zeljka turned around she could not remember one thing that she had read!

  Pointing to the statue by the confessionals of St. Leopold Mandic, Zelkja told us that when St. Leopold’s Church was bombed in Italy the only things that were left standing were the statue of Our Lady and the confessional.

  A holy hour of Adoration is held every Wednesday and Saturday night, and Zeljka told us that on June 24^th there would be all night Adoration for the anniversary.

   We walked with Zeljka to the Risen Jesus statue behind St. James and Zeljka shared some interesting information about the statue that I did not know. She said that the statue was sent to Rome before it came to Medjugorje in 1998, and Pope John Paul II blessed it.  She said that the liquid mysteriously coming from the knee of the statue has been scientifically tested to be human tears. She said that a pilgrim from Poland wiped her cloth on the tears and it came out on the cloth looking like blood. It too was tested and found to be human blood. She emphasized that the parish of St. James has made no official statement on this phenomenon.

   In answer to the question of a pilgrim, Zeljka said that Ivan had an apparition of Fr. Slavko after he died just like he had of Pope John Paul II the night of his death. And in answer to another question, she said that locutionist Jelena

still gets locutions occasionally, but not as frequently as before.

   The next day Zeljka told us some more stories from the earlier days of Medjugorje and answered some questions the group had. She talked about how hard it was to live under communist rule and how especially hard it was on the visionaries. There were times when the visionaries’ relatives and acquaintances were ordered by the communists to be among the visionaries and to spy on them. Zeljka recalled one occasion where a young man came to be there during the apparition. He was a friend of the family and Our Lady told the visionaries he was there for a purpose, so after the apparition they said, “Someone is here not because of a good reason, and we would like that person not to show up again.” Then he got up and left, quite embarrassed.

   Then Zeljka told about the time that the visionaries were kidnapped by a social worker. They were begging her to return them to Medjugorje as it got close to apparition time, but of course she was told not to. So she kept them there during the apparition time, and they were praying as apparition time got close. They were able to see a great light coming from Medjugorje, and Our Lady appeared to them at the waterfall. They were sad and crying and She consoled them and told them not to be afraid. 

   One of our pilgrims asked Zeljka if it were true that the social worker who kidnapped the visionaries was converted after that. Zeljka said, “She always was a believer, but she was working for the government, and she was told, ‘You do this today or you’re fired, and not only that, you will be in trouble.’ She was forced, not that she wanted to do that, because she lived here and was their cousin and neighbor. She really had no choice. She did not mean anything bad, and it’s not like she was a bad person. She was always a believer, but she just had to do that.”

   Then Zeljka told us about Vicka’s father: “As for my uncle, Vicka’s father, he was in Germany when the apparitions started, and he didn’t know anything. One day he opened the papers they were getting there in Germany on a regular basis from here, and he saw his daughter was in there and that’s how he learned about the apparitions! He read the paper that his daughter was seeing Our Lady, and you can imagine how he felt! They had 8 children, and he was the only one working in Germany. They were working in the fields here and he was afraid to come home because he knew if he came they would take away his passport, and he would not be able to go back to his work. So poor him! You can imagine how he felt. He knew they were going through persecution and everything, and he wouldn’t dare to come because the officials would take his passport.”

   Another pilgrim asked Zeljka if the parents of the visionaries had trouble believing in the apparitions in the beginning. Zeljka said, “All of us couldn’t believe in the beginning, but when we saw changes in them – like imagine Jakov was not yet 10 and try to make a 10 year-old come to church and pray 3 parts of the Rosary, stay for Mass and for the apparition and pray 7 Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s, and the others were teenagers, and just seeing the change in them, that was the best proof to us that something supernatural was happening to them.”

 

 

News from our Prayer Cloth Library

   Subscriber Joyce Krueger wrote, “I just got back from Medjugorje and attended a retreat with Fr. Jozo.  It was wonderful!   I’ve been reading where the demand for your Medjugorje prayer cloths has been increasing. So, before I left, I prepared and cut cotton fabric, and following your instructions, I made one hundred prayer cloths for you.  In Medjugorje I touched es over each one. (That’s the time between the tear drops.) Later, at Fr. Jozo’s retreat, we were invited to bring items in for Father to bless. These prayer cloths were among the items that Fr. Jozo blessed for me.  I would like you to have these original prayer cloths to replenish the stock from which you make ‘copies’ of cloths that people can keep. I trust they shall last until my next trip over when I will bring back more ‘originals’ for you.“  Thank you, Joyce. What a labor of love!

   Another subscriber named Judy wrote, “I have made many prayer cloths. My cousin had her breast removed 5 years ago and just a few months ago she had pain where she had it taken off. There was nothing wrong, but she just had pain there.  I sent her a cloth and as soon as she put it on the spot, the pain went away and has been gone since.”

  And another reader named Betty wrote, “On February 20, 2007,my 6 year-old grand-nephew had an adverse reaction from the flu. He was taken to the hospital, put on oxygen, given antibiotics, etc. The doctors said 10 children in a million are affected by the flu this way and most don’t survive. His pediatricians said they’ve only seen one other case like this in 30 years. I prayed Our Lady’s Prayer for the Sick constantly with the Medjugorje prayer cloth for him and the Lord answered my prayers that he recover. He went home from the hospital on March 8. He has very little memory of the whole experience, and has no residual health problems as a result of this.”

   There are many more testimonies you can read about on our website.

   Thank you to Sister Mary Michaeline, CSSF and Sister Mary Poncilia, CSSF, Joyce Gay, Lori Ricchiutti, Fran Stadler, Frances Slezak and Joyce Krueger for making us more prayer cloths. Our Lady must be smiling at all the prayer cloth makers!  

 

Visionary Marija will be in Birmingham, AL, July 1-5. If you cannot be there, you can still join in the consecrations of yourself to Our Lady on July 2^nd, your family to Our Lady on July 3^rd, and our nation to Our Lady on July 4^th.

For more information, you can visit www.mej.com.

 

 My Pilgrimage to Medjugorje

By Rose Mary Chamberlin

 

   My dear friend who brings me the Holy Eucharist also brought me several issues of “The Spirit of Medjugorje.” I have been reading and absorbing the wonder of Our Lady’s messages and the stories of those whose lives have been forever changed by a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.

   This glorious newsletter renewed all the memories of my pilgrimage in June,1990. My journey was a miracle.

   I had been chosen as a finalist in the New York State Beef Cook-off. The Holy Spirit inspired my recipe for “Beef Simply Divine.” I asked for prayer – I wanted to win so I would have a nest egg to go to Medjugorje.

    In April I attended a mini-retreat at the House of Prayer in Plainview, NY. A lovely lady walked up to me and placed $1000 in my hands. She told me that when she woke in the morning, Jesus gave her instructions on where to go and what to do. When she heard me share my story and ask for prayer, she knew I was “the one.” I immediately gave the money to Sr. Marcia for the June trip. Then I came in second place in the Cook-off and won $280 – the EXACT price of the trip was $1280!

   My twelve days in Medjugorje were heaven on earth. Mary welcomed me with all the love of Her Mother’s heart. I saw Her in prayer atop Mt. Krizevac. My adventures were many and glorious. I am forever grateful.

   I have been ill for many years – suffered my first heart attack at 48. My mother was dying from a massive heart attack and was hospitalized and in ICU. We hurried to her. While there, I also had a heart attack. The nurses said it was a first time event. That was the summer of 1989. I went to Medjugorje in June of 1990. Despite many physical limitations, I was able to climb Mt. Krizevac and Apparition Hill.  Blessed Mother kept a seat open for me near Her statue in St. James Church – no matter how crowded the church was.

    I stayed at the Stanka’s house and you could clearly see the cross atop the mountain. Early one morning several of us saw Gospa praying at the foot of the cross, dressed all in white. My room-mate and I went to our room and watched and prayed the Rosary. I also saw Her disappear. She was lifted up above the cross in a globe of light, higher and higher, and then it shattered. Heart-stopping!

   One day I spent hours in church. I heard Mass in English, German and Italian. About 1:00 PM via inner locution I was told to walk along the street and I would know the restaurant when I come to it.  I was to order something to eat and wait. The Lord was sending someone to me. I did exactly as I was told.  Soon a very poorly dressed mother and daughter came up to me and asked if they could eat with me. The restaurant was nearly empty. Their names were Brigitta and Olga. Olga was 13, mentally-challenged and blind. They were from Czechoslovakia. Brigitta had been held in a mental institution as a prisoner and Olga had been taken from her. I told them to order lunch. We spent hours together. I gathered clothing, soap, money for them while they sat under the trees in front of St. James. Brigitta told me it was the first time she was not afraid in years, and she wept. She and Olga sang folk songs to me. So hauntingly lovely. We wrote for a time after my return,but her last letter that reached me said my letters were not getting to her. I don’t know what happened to them.

   My time in Medjugorje was filled with joy and love and indescribable emotions. Fr. Jozo - Fr. Slavko - heavenly Masses – Rosaries - the Eucharist. glorious – penance,often.

   I walked through the fields and kissed the hands of the women. I drank in the pilgrims from around the world. I met the first integrated group of Catholic women allowed to travel together out of South Africa. We exchanged rosaries and they turned gold before our eyes!

   I was taken by Vicka into the room of apparitions in her home with two other ladies and she prayed over us. She placed her hand on my head and I seemed to be pushed downward, and I hear the Holy Spirit say, “You have been marked by a heavenly sign.”

   I can still feel the utter silence when Our Lady appeared. Even the birds by the hundreds came and settled down – the air was permeated by Gospa.

   My journal is full of the colors, sounds, tastes and mystical phenomena with which I was graced. But most of all – above all – was Jesus and Mary. I – I who am nothing – was loved, held, and loved more by my heavenly Father.

   Now, due to my poor health, I seldom leave my home. I have a ministry writing to prisoners in the US, and I also write to Christian prisoners in Asia, Pakistan, Indonesia, etc. I also write a monthly newsletter to my parish prayer intercessors. A prayer cell meets here on Tuesdays and we pray for the problems that plague our world and our dear ones. We belong to the Apostolate of Suffering, the association of the Holy Face, the Prayer Crusade for Priests, and the Universal Living Rosary Association.

   I will never forget living the miracle of Medjugorje.

 

 

 

Prayer Must Become “As Breathing”

The following is an excerpt from Fr. Jozo’s reflection on the March 25, 2008 message:

   We must be honest with ourselves and look at how much time out of 24 hours in a day we dedicate to prayer. How much do I pray for my family? When the Lord has given me 24 hours in a day, how can I then say that I do not have time for prayer? How can my children find time for a television program they like? Why have we not succeeded in inspiring our family for longer and daily prayer? Can we sleep in peace while Our Lady calls us to pray the Rosary every day – to pray it together and to pray it with the heart? If I feel myself losing enthusiasm and love for prayer and my meeting with God, I must ask myself what is happening with me. I must not turn prayer into a habit or a form of an effort. Instead, as Our Lady said, for me, prayer must become “as breathing,” – absolutely necessary and natural…

   Dear brothers and sisters, never say that prayer is too long, or that we have remained in prayer for a long time. Always remember Our Lady’s motherly words which are meant to awaken us: “Spend all the more time in prayer.” Never give crumbs or remnants of your day to God. To the contrary, give Him the gift of the most beautiful time and in abundance. May your prayer not become shorter, but flow into your life and your work throughout your entire day. This is because prayer blesses your life. Prayer unites your family and keeps it in peace. It removes all evil and temptation. Prayer is a meeting with the living Lord in our hearts. …

   If the Mother is calling all of us with such persistence and love, how much greater must our love be in responding and recognizing our call and our way? This call and way are right. We need to persevere on this way of the messages.

 

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” ~ St. Augustine

The prayer below was given to us by a subscriber who wants to remain anonymous. It was approved by a priest.

Prayer for the Grace to Witness

Our Mother’s Plan by Our Lives

Lord Jesus,

We make an offering of ourselves,

In the presence of the whole heavenly court

Of all Angels and Saints,

And most especially, of Our Most Blessed Mother,

To the Eternal Lord of all Creation;

We offer our whole self, our whole life~

A life of Imitation of Christ,

A life of surrender to God’s Holy Will,

A life of discipleship,

That we may be worthy carriers

Of Our Mother’s messages,

That Her messages flow from us

Like a gentle rain over all the land;

A rain that refreshes the earth,

A rain that brings New Life,

And restores the Kingdom of God on earth.

Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, Pray for us.

The following excerpt is from Denis Nolan’s book, Medjugorje and the Church:

   “It does not bother me that your local bishop is not favorable to these events because there are also other bishops who think otherwise. One time the archbishop of Pescara who is my great friend, told me that he asked the Holy Father [Pope John Paul II] about these events. ‘Holy Father, what should I do when the faithful from my diocese of Pescera want often to go on pilgrimage to Medjugorje?’ ‘What are they doing?’ asked the Holy Father. ‘They pray and go to Holy Confession.’ ‘Well, isn’t that good?’ answered the Holy Father.

    I worked for ten years with the Holy Father and Cardinal Ratzinger. Cardinal Ratzinger is a wonderful man, full of spirituality and very pleasant. Sometimes I hear it said about him that he is very strict and serious, but I think he is a man with a big heart. Once I asked him what he thinks about Medjugorje. He answered that the tree is recognized by the fruits, because good fruits are a sign of God’s presence.”

                                                                    Bishop John Evangelist Martins Terra, Brasilia, Brazil

The Ugandan Martyrs

By Stephen Sematiko

 

   Uganda is in the east of Africa, with a population of 28 millions of people. It is comprised of 47 tribes.

The biggest tribe is the Baganda with a population of 8 millions, and they are mainly in the southern part of Uganda and the capital city Kampala. The Baganda tribes have Kings just as other tribes. The first president of Uganda was the king of Buganda Sir Edward Muteesa.  He was a powerful man who was so rich and very wise.

He invited the missionaries to come to Uganda to teach is people the word of God. The first group was the Church Missionary Society (CMS). These were Anglican from England (Protestants). In 1879 a group of other missionaries from France arrived in Uganda also invited by the king. And these were the Catholic missionaries.

   The CMS told the king not to allow these people because they worship a woman (Our lady)

The king was so brilliant that he insisted first to talk to them, not to listen to the CMS who are frustrating them.

In Buganda when the Mother of a King is passing somewhere, people kneel down and bow before Her.

So the king said if they respect so much that woman (Our Lady) this means they are the best people to deal with, because I also respect my mother so much.

    The king was happy to see people giving respect to a woman (Our Lady),holding rosaries and ready to die because of the word of God that they have received from the Catholic missionaries.  Since we respect so much the mother of the king, he was so happy to see people respecting the Mother of Jesus (Mary). That’s why the missionaries dedicated Uganda to Our Lady. Because of Her Uganda received the good news of Our lord Jesus Christ.

   Among all religions the Catholics were the last group to arrive in Uganda, but they were tough and the Catholic Church picked the biggest number of followers. The king died, and his son succeeded him. The son was so cruel, when he saw that people are not respecting his kingship.  They were spending most of the time listening to the word of God. He ordered the death of all people who are spreading the word of God. People did not listen to the king, and they continued to pray the Rosary and building churches.

   Twenty-two people who worked in the king’s palace disobeyed the king and decided to follow the teaching of the missionaries. The king ordered for their death, by burning them into ash. They tried them and took them to a place called Namugongo, where they were all burnt. They never gave up; they continued to recite the Rosary until they were all finished. This is how we got the Ugandans Martyrs; we celebrate this feast day on every 3 June of the year. It’s a public holiday in Uganda.

Editor’s note: Stephen is one of our sponsored subscribers. He lives in Kampala, Uganda, and heads the Medjugorje Peace Center there.  

The Spirit of Medjugorje

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