Queen of Peace Productions reports from Medjugorje
In a move that many consider to be a major step towards official recognition of Medjugorje as a shrine, Pope Francis today appointed recently-retired Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as Special Apostolic Visitor to the parish of Medjugorje.
Announcing the news on May 31, 2018, the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, the Vatican declared that Monsignor Hoser would take up residence in Medjugorje in his new role “for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,” which means “at the disposal of the Holy See.”
MEDJUGORJE REACTS
Queen of Peace Productions/Stella Mar Films is in Medjugorje now. We spoke with both locals and pilgrims today to get their reactions about the news (and we will post a video report about it soon).
The mood here in Medjugorje is overwhelmingly jubilant, with many recalling the positive comments Archbishop Hoser made during and after his appointment by Pope Francis as papal envoy to Medjugorje last year.
“The devotion of Medjugorje is allowed. It’s not prohibited, and need not be done in secret,” had said to Catholic news organization Aleteia. “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem. The decree of the former episcopal conference of what used to be Yugoslavia, which, before the Balkan war, advised against pilgrimages in Medjugorje organized by bishops, is no longer relevant.
“I am full of admiration for the work the Franciscans are doing there. With a relatively small team—there is only a dozen of them—they do a huge job of welcoming pilgrims. Every summer they organize a youth festival. This year, there were 50,000 young people from around the world, with more than 700 priests.
“There is a massive number of confessions. They have about 50 confessionals, which are not enough. These are very deep confessions.
“This is a phenomenon. And what confirms the authenticity of the place is the large amount of charitable institutions that exist around the sanctuary. And another aspect as well: the great effort that is being made at the level of Christian formation. Each year, they organize conferences at different levels, for various audiences – priests, doctors, parents, young people, couples.
“What I find touching is that all the seers have turned to family life. In our day and age, the family is of enormous importance. All of them have a family. Those who were teenagers at the time, are already grandmothers; 37 years have passed!”
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
In addition to the announcement coming on a Marian feast day, the parish of Medjugorje also celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi today. Per tradition, the priests led thousands of parishioners and pilgrims through the village in a Eucharistic procession. Locals placed candles and statues outside their shops and homes along the route, and the crowd was so immense that police had to block traffic as the procession made its way through town.
The Vatican issued a statement describing Monsignor Hoser’s duty as an “exclusively pastoral task, in continuity with the mission of the Holy See’ special envoy of the parish of Medjugorje, entrusted to Monsignor Hoser on 11 February 2017 and concluded by him in recent months.”
His new mission, according to the Vatican, is “to ensure a stable and continuous accompaniment of the parish community of Medjugorje and of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, whose needs require special attention.”
The local bishop of Mostar has been vocal in his opposition to Medjugorje, although an enormous number of other clergy throughout the world express belief in the apparitions. According to news source Vatican Insider, Hoser’s appointment represents a solution to this problem that was suggested by the Ruini Report, the result of an investigation into Medjugorje begun by Pope Benedict XVI and led by Cardinal Camillo Ruini (read the report here).
According to Vatican Insider:
When the commission concluded its work – with a positive judgment on the supernatural nature of the phenomenon at least in the first weeks of apparitions and the proposal to separate Medjugorje from the diocese of Mostar transforming it into a shrine under the direct control of the Holy See – the results were put into the hands of Pope Francis, who repeatedly publicly showed appreciation for the work and its conclusions.
The choice of the Polish bishop by now emeritus represents a first step in the solution indicated by the Ruini commission, that is the Holy See taking over the pastoral accompaniment of the millions of people who visit the small village of Herzegovina, which became famous in June 1981 for the most numerous Marian apparitions in history.
We will continue to report from Medjugorje as this story develops.
MORE FROM QUEEN OF PEACE PRODUCTIONS
- Experience Medjugorje through the award-winning film Apparition Hill and the bestselling book My Heart Will Triumph.
- See videos of recent apparitions in Medjugorje by Stella Mar Films.
- Join our free mailing list to receive Medjugorje messages and news.
- Queen of Peace Productions and Stella Mar Films are also currently working on two new films: Cross Mountain and Where There Is Darkness. Please consider supporting our mission to bring God’s love to those who need it most.
The best news ever, I am a Tour Leader and brought Pilgrims every year at this Holy Place and I am proud to say I will continue to do so. Thank you Pope Francis for your approval. Blessing Marie
Thank you Sweet Jesus – for you do work in mysterious ways -for your holy message was received by Pope Francis in accepting Medjorje as a shrine in recognizing the Apparitions of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God under the direction of the Holy See. May God bless all the pilgrims and all the people of prayer who pray for Peace in our World.
Hi, my name is Bernadette from PA. I heard about Medjorje from a co-worker about 15 years ago. Wayne Weible’s book called Medjorje got me so excited that The Mother of God, Mary is currently and has been talking with us. Im sure she is so excited about the POPE giving approval of her visits. Its about time. Yes the Church is skeptical because we know why, but finally. Yes Mary’s Message will open up to others around the world. I have tears in my eyes as I type. I love my Mother, and yes She will be heard. Thank you POPE Francis for taking this beautiful miracle as a true miracle that has been happening for years. May God Bless America and the World. With much love and gratitude for Mary. I thank her each day as being my support and bringing me closer to Jesus, her beloved Son. Our Savior. Our only HOPE. Amen
I rejoice with you Berenadette! Hallelujah! Thank you 🙏🏼Lord Jesus Christ for nothing is impossible with you. I’ve been praying the rosary every day and continue to do so. I to had tears in my eyes what a joy. Yes, we thank Pope Frances. Like Mother Mary said, “ Love, love, love”. Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ! Amen! Abundant blessings to all and your family.
Praise God in all things. At the Hour of Mercy today, in Ca. I was praying for help to speak to a local media mogul, (PC) are his initials. He had aired a two part video recently about , ” Medjorgorje is a lie and the people who believe in this are a group of haters.”
“Judge not lest ye be judged and forgive them for they do not know what they do” come to my mind.
Today at coffee,two of my friends for 33 years of knowing the Love of Our Lady together were so sad by his false judgement of us and Our Lady.
We wondered, how can he not see the fruit? Where else in the world are there 50 priest hearing confessions on a regular bases? The adoration and love of Jesus to me was astounding that my husband and I were priveledged to witness, in the tiny village two years ago on the anniversary of our babies healing to give thanksgiving and joy of our Lord. The healing took place from afar and finally on both the healing anniversary and the anniversary of Our Ladys first appearance, 27 years later we thanked her in person. To think this has been going on for 37 years is astounding. True this is not typical for Our Lady to appear and give us so many messages, that may seem repetitive. However, I know as a mom who loves her children more then life itself, we sometimes repeat ourselves until we are blue in the face, in hopes of keeping them out of harms way. A mothers’ love is unlike any other.
For Our Lady to be speaking to us so much and so often tells me the world needs her guidance and love, beyond belief.
Amen
I have been to Medjugorje twice and it is an amazing experience. I am so happy to hear the Pope has recognized Medjugorje and that our Lady is appearing to the Visionaries. We stayed with Ivan and to be present when our Lady visits Ivan is a wonderful feeling knowing that she is present in the chapel while we are present.
Our Lady blessed my wedding rings and a beautiful pendant I had. It was a wonderful experience only wished my husband was with me.
il mio pellegrinaggio a medjugorje mi sono sentita onorata e benedetta che la madonna a messo nel mio
cuore di fare il pallegrinaggio un viaggio indimenticabile lincontro piu spirituale con dio e la madre
maria mi sono sentita vicina alla mia madre maria sentito la sua presenza quasi tutto il tenpo con il gruppo siamo andate la mattina verso le 5am a la montagna delle apparizione sono arrivata mi sono
messa in cinochio e o pregato quando mi sono alzata quardo dritta alla montagna della croce ancora
era scuro e vedo la madonna e cera una grande luce su tutta la montagna senbrava mezogiorno per primo o penzato che era una statua della madonna e o domandato alla quida ma alla montagna della
croce a fianco ce una statua della madonna a detto no io fissata a quel punto vedevo che si muoveva
era la madonna perche ce lo nel cuore mi e molto piaciuto molttissimo che bello vivere a medjugorje
e il paradiso in terra un luogo di freghiera di fede e di pace grazie madonna mia benedici tutti noi
o un grande desiderio di tornare dinuovo a medjugorje
c
So happy to hear this news.
Praise God and the Holy Spirit for the wisdom given to the Church.
REJOICE !!! ✨🙏🏼✨💙✨
Mary is accomplishing so many miracles. With Mary on the front cover of National Geographic magazine in June 2018, it is a sign that our world is desperately in need of messengers to pray the rosary!
Wonderful news praise God. Could I also ask can the DVD Apparition Hill be shown on a recorder in the UK or is it only compatible with America. Many many thanks for all the great information you give us it is truly appreciated!
God Bless
Maureen Gasser
Thank you, Maureen! Yes, the Apparition Hill DVD works on UK players. We created it to be able to work worldwide. God bless you!
There’s no other place we enjoy than to be at Medjugorje, where my husband and I felt God’s peace, together with the friendship and love with the family we stayed with since 1998 – our very first pilgrimage to Medjugorje until 2017 – which we made each year since. The Adoration service has been amazing, so full of reverence and prayerful with thousands of pilgrims each time present to adore the presence of Jesus in the blessed sacrament. We will continue to make our pilgrimage to Medjugorje each year in the future for as long as we are able to do so. How privileged we feel to be in the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary at several times when she is appearing to each of the visionaries eg to Ivan at Podbrodo also to Marjana at the blue Cross. We feel truly blessed.
Our Lady knows what She is doing! And Jesus Our Lord lives in Her – they are so unified—so it is not difficult to understand, knowing that nothing is impossible for God, that Our Mother wishes to teach us about His amazing Love, so that knowing Him, we might love Him more deeply…more and more deeply…in The Blessed Sacrament, The Holy Eucharist…and in all our brothers and sisters…and in all God’s creation, no matter what we must suffer to do so. Our Mother perseveres with us, because it is no small thing to allow Her Spirit to possess us, so that we live no longer, but so She lives and loves thru us instead. If this were easy, where would be the merit? That the Special Apostolic Visitor is announced should encourage us all even more to live Our Lady’s Messages. Glory to Jesus living in Mary!
I am Carmen Blackett a group leader who came to the shrine since 1988 before the war
and during the war. I did bring humanitarian aid from Brentwood ,Essex brought a group weekly before the war and during the war as well. I did help Fr. Slavko Barbaric in giving aid to the children in Mother’s Village, now my group of friends and pilgrims comes on different Feast Days of Our Lady like in March, May, June, July, August and Sept, October and December.
I do like to idea of expansion of the shrine for the sake of all the pilgrims coming from around
the world, keep praying to Mother of God for her help and now is all happening. Thank Mong.
Hoser for his open heart and discernment and thru his love for the Mother of God that nothing is impossible with God. Bless you all for sharing this news and viseo of the snow in
Medjugorje as I am coming soon on the Group Leaders Meeting in March. Keep on and
God have chosen you to do this work for the Glory of his Kingdom that will come.