Travellers Gather At Christian Shrine Site In Bosnia.

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-HerzegovinaThousands of Christian travellers have gathered in the southern Bosnian village of Medjugorje to mark the 30th anniversary of the disputed apparition of the Virgin Mary.
At dawn Saturday, travellers from all over the world climbed a hill above Medjugorje where six children claimed in 1981 they had the visions.

The Medjugorje apparition has been disputed for decades. Unlike Fatima in Portugal or Lourdes in France, the Roman Catholic church is cautious about calling the sightings legitimate, and hasn’t officially approved Medjugorje as a shrine site. The Vatican last year started officially investigating the apparitions the sixnow adultsclaim are still regular.

But the absence of official recognition hasn’t stopped the remote village from flourishing, thru communism and then war. Some 40 million trustworthy have visited its shrine so far.
A Catholic clergyman blesses a pilgrim as other pilgrims walk by at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Saturday, June twenty-five, 2011. It is thought the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six children in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981.

For thirty years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an inquiry team to search for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the beginning in 1981, Medjugorje was generally accepted by Catholic followers, and pilgrims arrived in their hundreds of thousands annually to wish to the Virgin.

Bosnian Catholic girl Iva Kozul, 73, left, prays in front of a sculpture of the Virgin Mary at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is assumed that the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six children in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981.

For thirty years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome until 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to search for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the beginning in 1981, Medjugorje was widely accepted by Catholic believers, and travellers arrived in their many thousands annually to hope to the Virgin.

Bosnian Catholic woman Iva Kozul, 73, left, prays in front of sculpture of Virgin Mary at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is assumed the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six kids in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an enquiry team to hunt for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the start in 1981, Medjugorje was widely accepted by Catholic believers, and pilgrims arrived in their hundreds of thousands each year to pray to the Virgin.

Travellers gather kneeling around a sculpture of the Virgin Mary to say prayers at the Hill of Appearance in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is thought that the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to 6 children in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For thirty years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to look for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the beginning in 1981, Medjugorje was accepted by Catholic believers, and travellers arrived in their hundreds of thousands annually to pray to the Virgin.

A Franciscan priest blesses travellers as they gather kneeling around a sculpture of the Virgin Mary to assert prayers at the Hill of Appearance in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Saturday, June twenty-five, 2011. It is thought that the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six children in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome until 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to look for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the start in 1981, Medjugorje was generally accepted by Catholic followers, and travellers arrived in their hundreds of thousands every year to hope to the Virgin, writes tagza.com.

The name Medjugorje means (area between 2 mountains)
Medjugorje is one of the villages of the Herzegovina municipality of Citluk or you can say of important Brotnjo.The territory of Medjugorje has a mild Mediterranean climate and spreads out at the altitude of 150 meters above sea level.
The parish of Medjugorje was founded in 1892 and also put under the protection of St. James, patron of pilgrims. Five years on, the old parish church of St. James in Medjugorje was completed.The church was completed and sanctified on 19.1.1969. So there had been a beatifull church which attracted no attention, not even from the people of the nearest surroundings. The story of Medjugorje started in the summertime of 1981.

It has become well known all around the globe, due to 6 young people who insist to have seen visions of our Woman.

Memorial – Former Senator Mark O. Hatfield