Friday 1 November 2013

Experiences from 2013 Pilgrimage to Medjugorje



Climbing Apparition Hill, one rock at a time, is made easier by the support of all those other pilgrims around.  May the next hill to climb, with your prayer support and that or our Blessed Virgin Mary, be to set up a prayer group in the parish of St. Thomas (Canterbury).  That others may hear Mary’s call and respond to it. (Mary McGillie)

We had a great experience.  There is a special grace of peace here.
I was greatly blessed to see my children fall more in love with Our Lady and Jesus.  The children want us to pray the rosary as a family.  The children loved praying, adoration and daily Mass.  (It is something they will never forget).  The children loved hearing about how Our Lady appearing to the young Croatian children and got to meet a visionary (Vicka).  They listened to the main messages of Our Lady and want to live them.  They went to confession and were full of joy afterwards. (Cathy Fava)

In my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje I received a conversion of mind and heart and was strengthened me in my faith.  I was not expecting to receive anything further from this pilgrimage.  How wrong I was.  I have received further blessings and now feel determined to encourage others to visit Medjugorje and to assist the set up of an RCIA program in my parish. 
For me this is a very big change as I have never been one to evangelize so with God's blessings I will be successful. (Tony Holt)

This trip to Medjugorje was my second, I was so excited to go on this one and I was not disappointed.  I am closer to God and to my prayers.  Please God when our parish receives our new priest I will be able to set up a prayer group.  I am so excited to be able to do this.
The people that were on this trip were lovely people.  Some that I met on my first trip and others that were new.  We all come for different reasons and it is so lovely to be able to share these reasons. I will be going again next year, please God.
God Bless Gwennie. Xx

This was my 16th trip to Medjugorje ... as the bus pulled into the village the guide said “welcome home” and that is exactly what I felt, and feel every time I visit Medjugorje ... home ... where Our Lady is waiting for me and welcoming me. Whilst all around the physicality of Medjugorje  changes Our Lady never changes.  Her love like her welcome and her messages are certain and strong.  I thank God daily for that certainty, strength, and consistency. (Yvonne Fitzpatrick-Grimes)

With my reduced mobility due to surgery climbing mountains was out of the question, but I did visit the foot of apparition hill taking a taxi there and back.  I very carefully got myself up a few paces holding on the rail, and sat on a rock with the statue of Mary by the Blue Cross in view and prayed the Joyful Mysteries aloud. I felt really very happy and joyful to be there again remembering my first visit to Medjugorje (2002) when I had trouble with my right knee.  I took a taxi up and sat a bit nearer in the same area praying the rosary while waiting for those of our group who were walking. I took a photograph (before the digital age) of the Blue Cross and the Statue of Mary before joining our Group.  The developed and enlarged photo shows a shaft of light beaming on to the head of Mary, sparkling ... and a smaller shaft on the head of a man in the crowd moving away. I bought a lot of peace rosaries and want to give them away in my prayer group encouraging them all to pray for peace in our hearts, families and the world.  Tonight I gave the mothers who come to Mothers Prayers a Peace rosary each and we prayed it at the end, which we will do from now on. (Ruth Kamalagharan)

This was my first journey to Medugorje, in celebration for having set up a new group in our parish.  By going to St. James church and the apparition hill, just to be there where Our Blessed Mother had appeared was out of this world.  Equally our visit to hear testimony from Vicka was just awesome.  The first thing on our return was to fly back to Medugorje on wings of prayer. My heartfelt thanks to John and the organisers for this momentous occasion. (Leo Willig)