On March 1, 1984, Our Lady began giving, every Thursday evening, a weekly message for the parish of Medjugorje. It was Marija through whom Our Lady entrusted these messages for the parish. Through these messages, Our Lady desired to spiritually form the parish because of the special role it would play in helping to bring conversion to all the people who would come to Medjugorje from all over the world. Eventually, this weekly message evolved into the monthly message for the world, given on the 25th of each month. It was January 25, 1987, when the first monthly message was given from Our Lady. Marija is the only visionary who receives the 25th message. It stays within her memory only until she writes it down. After it is written, she no longer can repeat the message word for word. Marija has said that satan causes “great confusion” in her life on the 25th of each month. He strikes back at the one who delivers Our Lady’s healing words to a sick world. This gives evidence that Our Lady’s words each month are causing havoc to satan’s evil designs for the world.

As Our Lady began to initiate the parish of Medjugorje into an intense spiritual life through the young visionaries, Marija began to feel the pull to the religious life. She, with Ivan, under the direction of Our Lady, began a prayer group of young people, and through the years Our Lady led them towards a profound love of Jesus and the Holy Mass. It was the decision of Marija to enter a religious order, but as she began to look at possible orders to join, she began to realize that to accept the Rule of the orders meant she would lose the freedom to openly witness to the apparitions and spread Our Lady’s messages. In her heart, there was no question of what her responsibility was in regards to being a chosen witness of the apparitions in Medjugorje. She could not join a religious order if it meant having to stop spreading the messages of Our Lady.

Also, as Our Lady’s plan became clearer to the visionaries, they began to understand that vocations to the religious life were best filled by those who were raised in holy families. With holy families there will never be a lack of good and plentiful vocations. Our Lady also spoke in Her messages about returning to the beginnings, or the foundations. John Paul II said that if a religious order is languishing and needs to be restored, the members should return to the order’s founding. All vocations materialize from the family, which is the “foundation.” Good, solid families birth good, solid vocations. The crisis of so many wrecked vocations can generally be traced back to disordered and dysfunctional family life or no family life at all.

With Our Lady’s guidance, it was at that point that Marija became opened to marriage for the first time. She eventually did marry a young man from Milano, Italy, who had been a good friend of hers for approximately five years. Their wedding took place on September 8, 1993. They live in Monza, Italy, but are often in Medjugorje, especially during the summer months. Paolo and Marija have four young sons, all whom were given Marija as their middle name: Michele Marija, Francesco Marija, Marco Marija, and Giovanni Marija. It is interesting that Marija ended up marrying an Italian man, as one of the more incredible gifts Our Lady gave to her early in the apparitions was, in an instant, the ability to understand and fluently speak native Italian. She received it in an apparition on her birthday. Marija entered the apparition without being able to speak fluent Italian, Our Lady gave Her the gift of the language, and Marija left the apparition speaking it better than one who has studied to learn to speak it as a language. It is like a native language for her!

Another great grace Our Lady has bestowed upon the world through Marija is the Special Blessing. It is a blessing of conversion that once we receive it, helps to lead us towards conversion our entire life. Our Lady once said that conversion is a process that ends only after we die. The gift of this blessing is that we can pass the blessing on to others, and it will help them in the same way it helps those who have already received it. No other visionary was given knowledge of the Special Blessing. Only Marija has details concerning it, just as only Mirjana and Vicka were given the special prayers for non-believers. *see below

The Special Blessing helps Our Lady reach hearts that in many ways are unreachable, but through an act of love from one of Her children who is moved to bestow Her blessing upon them, it is enough to open a heart to grace. Marija, in an interview with A Friend of Medjugorje on July 20, 2008, said Our Lady wants the Special Blessing to be used. She wants it to change our mentality that we, as laity, should understand we are to bless others. She wants us to do this through Her Special Blessing.

Of all of Marija’s gifts, one who is close to her believes the gift that Our Lady has given her above all others is the gift of “love.” Our Lady has given Her love specifically five different times in known messages ,as of July 2009, and three of these five times have occurred at Caritas in Alabama. The first time Our Lady gave Her love at Caritas was in the Bedroom of Apparitions before the Community began. During the apparition, the host family and those present felt love intensely. After the apparition, Marija relayed Our Lady’s message:

“Dear children, I give you my love, so you give it to others.” December 3, 1988

“Marija’s voice was beautiful, gentle, full of love and intensity when she talked about the apparition just after Our Lady left. All felt Our Lady’s presence and sensed that She was happy in a special way. Those gathered really felt Our Lady gave them Her love.” Love filled the room so much that “One witness said he felt as though love permeated even the walls of the Bedroom.”

The other two times, also were in the Bedroom, in which Our Lady gave a message saying She was giving Her love.

Marija seems to be an extension of Our Lady’s love to the world. Marija gave insight to this when Fr. Slavko asked her to choose the most beautiful and the most difficult of all messages. She told him that once she had asked Our Lady if She had something concrete to give her. Our Lady answered,

“Yes, I give you my love, so that you give it to others.”

Marija then said to Fr. Slavko, “To experience the beauty of Our Lady’s love, and to know that it is that love which gives itself to you, is the most beautiful thing in life. But, when I try to love others and try to give that love to them, then that is difficult and I often feel shame for my insufficiencies to love in the light of Our Lady’s all encompassing motherly love.” He asked her, then what can be done? Marija responded, “I pray every day that I may be all the more open to this love of Our Lady, and that I may be able to pass it onto every person, and I pray for others that they may be able to feel this love and in turn give it to others. We are so far from loving one another and this is a sign that we are also far from God’s love. And the closer we are to God’s love, the easier we will be able to live that love and bear witness to others.”

It is Jakov who steals the heart when looking at old pictures of the visionaries in ecstasy from the first years of the apparitions. For many, it is he who convinced them the apparitions were real, as any normal 10-year-old boy would consider it impossible to have to endure three hours of prayer, on their knees, every single night, year after year, without any break in the routine. If the apparitions had been a trick or a lie conceived by the so-called visionaries, young Jakov would have broke long ago—and yet, it is said of him that he was the most faithful in attendance to the evening prayer services than any other visionary.

To Vicka, who was with Jakov more than the other visionaries, she believed there was something special about Jakov in his relationship with Our Lady, though it was a mystery even to her. When asked by her confessor why Our Lady chose little Jakov, Vicka said:

Today, Jakov is a quiet and thoughtful man. He married, at the age of 22, Annalisa Barozzi, a young woman from Mantova, Italy. They have three children and reside in Medjugorje. Though Jakov was given a great deal of suffering at an early age, especially in the loss of his mother, while coping with all the difficulties the apparitions had brought into his life, nothing prepared him for the announcement made to him by Our Lady on September 11, 1998. Jakov was in the United States at the time, in Miami, Florida, to speak at a conference. Our Lady appeared and told him that the next day would be his last apparition. On September 12th, Our Lady confided to him his 10th secret. In his deep sorrow, Our Lady gave to him a gift, telling him that She would appear to him on Christmas Day every year until the end of his life. On that day, not only does he see Our Lady, but he receives the added joy of being in the presence of the Infant Jesus. Perhaps this is a special consolation given to Her youngest visionary because of all he had suffered already in his life. But even so, for Jakov, who grew up with Our Lady and certainly felt Her more deeply as his Mother after he was left alone in the world, he was devastated. Long before his daily apparitions ended, when he was asked to speak of Heaven, “he said if he thought of Heaven too much, he would die of loneliness.” 3 What then must he suffer to no longer have the comfort of Our Lady’s apparitions each day? In time, Jakov began to learn how to experience Our Lady in his heart without the joy of Her apparition. He had a realization in prayer, after several months of struggle, that he was now like all other people, who must live their lives without seeing Our Lady. This apparently has helped give him the strength to endure his suffering. Remembering the last words of Our Lady to him that day (September 12, 1998) must also bring him much solace.

“Do not be sad, because as a mother I will always be with you and like every true mother I will never leave you.”

When asked about his future, Jakov says nothing. Out of the six visionaries, he is the only one who would not say whether he would be alive when the permanent sign comes. Vicka, Mirjana, Ivan, Marija and Ivanka all have said they will be alive. Concerning himself, Jakov says only that it is a secret.

]]> http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-jakov-colo/feed/ 0 http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-vicka-ivankovic-mijatovic/ http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-vicka-ivankovic-mijatovic/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:32 +0000 admin http://www.medjugorjemap.com/?p=51
Vicka was born on September 3, 1964 in Bijakovici. She was 16 years old when the apparitions began, making her the oldest visionary. She is one of eight children in her family and is described as strong-willed, full of energy, courageous, outspoken, and fearless. Most know Vicka from the beautiful smile that continuously spreads across her face for the pilgrims who come to listen to her speak. She is always cheerful and joyful and is the most expressive in the apparitions, which has made her the most interesting visionary to watch.

In September 1981, several of the visionaries left Medjugorje to attend various schools. This, too, was Vicka’s plan, but Our Lady said it was not good for all to leave. Our Lady asked Vicka to stay at home and look after young Jakov, who was still attending primary school. Vicka readily agreed and her daily life then became that of a peasant woman who worked regularly in the fields. She discovered, however, that her time would become more and more taken up with the tens of thousands of pilgrims who were pouring into Medjugorje, week after week, as people from around the world began discovering the reported events taking place in the village. Often times, pilgrims showed up at her house as early as 6 a.m., and as they left, new ones arrived. Sometimes there would not be even time enough to stop and eat, and yet her patience and smile were constant and steadfast. With the other visionaries often gone and Jakov too young for such responsibility, Vicka took upon herself the burden of being Our Lady’s witness to the multitudes who came looking to understand the truth behind the events of the apparitions.

Our Lady, on a surprise visit, took Vicka and Jakov with Her to visit Heaven, Purgatory and hell. Vicka was moved to great compassion for the souls in Purgatory. Vicka asked Our Lady if there was something she could do to help them, if she could offer herself for their expiation. Our Lady accepted her offer when She was certain Vicka understood the seriousness of what she was asking. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious illness afflicted Vicka, causing her to suffer from extremely painful headaches and high fevers that were so severe, she would often fall into comas.2 Often during these episodes, she was semi-conscious and obviously suffering,3 though she always would awaken a few minutes before Our Lady’s apparition each evening and appear smiling and happy. At one point, her mother begged Vicka to ask Our Lady to cure her, but Vicka responded that if her mother knew how much good her suffering was doing for the poor souls, she would not ask this of her.4 In January 1988, Our Lady told Vicka her suffering would soon come to an end, giving her the exact date her illness would disappear, though she was to tell the date to no one with the exception of her confessor. The commission investigating the apparitions was given the date in a sealed envelope. On September 25, 1988, the headaches and symptoms disappeared, never to return. Members of the commission, upon opening the envelope, discovered the same date therein. Through these years of carrying this cross, Our Lady brought Vicka through the school of suffering, an education that has helped countless individuals learn how to accept suffering with joy. She became a witness not only for all those who carry the cross of physical illnesses or handicaps, but for all people who carry a cross, whatever shape or form it may come in. Our Lady has often asked Vicka to offer up other sufferings as well, the most difficult being to give up her daily apparitions for extended periods of time. This has been asked of Vicka on several occasions over the years. She suffers these times of not seeing Our Lady for specific intentions that Our Lady has asked of her.

Vicka is also the visionary to whom Our Lady chose to reveal Her life story. Though all the visionaries were given glimpses of Our Lady’s life on Earth, it was given for them only, not to be shared. But to Vicka, Our Lady instructed her to keep a careful record of these special dictations, given from January 7, 1982 to April 10, 1985. She is not allowed to show anyone the notebooks that contain Our Lady’s life story until she receives from Our Lady the date upon which they can be released.5

After twenty years of devoted service to Medjugorje pilgrims, Vicka married on January 26, 2002 at the age of 37. She and her husband and two children now live in Gruda, a small village a few miles north of Medjugorje. Vicka’s life is more private now, though she still makes herself available to pilgrims from time to time. She continues to see Our Lady every day in the apparitions, has received nine secrets, and awaits the 10th, along with Marija and Ivan. She, no doubt, continues to suffer for the plans of Our Lady to be fulfilled, though we will never know for certain, as that smile will always hide the cross that she carries.

]]> http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-vicka-ivankovic-mijatovic/feed/ 1 http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivan-dragicevic/ http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivan-dragicevic/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:27 +0000 admin http://www.medjugorjemap.com/?p=49
Ivan, born May 25, 1965, was 16-years-old when the apparitions began, and typical of a boy his age, was not particularly pious. However, four days after the first apparitions his mother found a rosary in his pants pocket.2 The apparitions forged a complete change in him. Ivan is one of the three visionaries who continue to have daily apparitions and has been given nine secrets. When speaking to pilgrims, Ivan shares the valuable information Our Lady has given him to help man find God. Ivan’s answers to the pilgrims are truly insightful and inspired. He speaks with quiet confidence and often appears serious, though he has a wonderful sense of humor that comes through from time to time. He testifies to what he has been taught through the years by Our Lady without any anxiousness for people to believe what he says is true. His attitude seems to be that each has the choice to believe or not to believe, and eventually all will know the truth, one way or another.

Ivan entered the seminary shortly after the apparitions began but experienced great difficulties, not only academically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. “During the time I spent in the ‘Little Seminary’ in Dubrovnik, I suffered very much, truly, very much, because of my relations with my colleagues and professors. (Those in the seminary did not believe Ivan was seeing Our Lady and so he was constantly mocked and scorned.) Regarding all the problems I had then, Our Lady said, “Don’t worry. I will guide you through your life.” 3 Our Lady then asked Ivan if he wished Her to show him his future. “She revealed my future to me—until my death. My personal future is my secret. Only I know it. First, Our Lady asked me whether or not She should tell me. I’m sorry Our Lady revealed my personal future to me. [But] I’m content now and not afraid, because I know who guided me. Now, I look to the Mother who guides me, and I live in complete contentment.” 4

Our Lady has spoken and given instruction to Ivan about today’s family and the youth and those things that hurt and attack them.

In one interview, Ivan stated that Our Lady has asked him to write a book, with Her help, about the disease of materialism, which he says is destroying the beauty of God’s people and the world that He created. The book, he said, will be released “as soon as the Blessed Mother says.” 5 Interestingly enough, Ivan married an American girl from Massachusetts, Laureen Murphy, who is a former Miss Massachusetts. Laureen experienced conversion through Medjugorje, which eventually led to her meeting Ivan. Since their marriage, Ivan lives with his wife and children half of the year in the United States and half the year in Medjugorje. Living within the culture of America has, no doubt, given Ivan a greater understanding of the evils of materialism than if he had remained within the region and culture in which he was born.

Through the direction of Our Lady, Ivan, with Marija, started a prayer group of young people, who began meeting twice a week on Apparition Hill or Cross Mountain. During the prayer group meetings, Our Lady would normally appear to the visionaries giving messages and instructions. She asked them to offer their prayers for the fulfillment of her plans for the world. Although most refer to the prayer group as “Ivan’s prayer group,” Ivan states that it is Our Lady who is the leader of the group. Tens of thousands, if not millions of pilgrims have joined this small prayer group up on the mountains throughout the years. It is a great joy of Our Lady to see so many come. As in the message below, She has often stated how happy She is to see everyone gathered in such large numbers.

]]> http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivan-dragicevic/feed/ 3 http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivanka-ivankovic-elez/ http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivanka-ivankovic-elez/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:25 +0000 admin http://www.medjugorjemap.com/?p=45
Ivanka is the youngest of the girl visionaries. Born on June 21, 1966, she was 15 years old when the apparitions began. Her father was away, working in Germany. Ivanka’s mother had died in May 1981, a month before the apparitions began. On June 24th, Ivanka was the first to see Our Lady. She was also the first to speak to Her, which happened on the following day, when Ivanka asked about her mother, for whom she was still greatly grieving. Our Lady responded by saying:

“She is happy. She is with me.”

Ivanka was described as pretty, with a serene but shy countenance. She was the second visionary, after Mirjana, to receive her 10th secret, signifying the end of her daily apparitions. On May 6, 1985, Ivanka remained in ecstasy, while the apparition of the other three visionaries with her ended sooner. They were astounded to see Ivanka’s expression, realizing she was still seeing Our Lady. None of the visionaries had ever seen each other in ecstasy before. They watched in wonder, with all those present, until Ivanka’s eyes drifted upward, signifying the end of her apparition. They all learned afterwards, much to Ivanka’s grief, that the next day would be Our Lady’s last daily meeting with her. On May 7, 1985 Our Lady appeared with two angels in Ivanka’s home. On that day, Our Lady told Ivanka that:

“No one in the world has had the grace which you, your brothers, and sisters have received.” (meaning
the six visionaries)

In this last apparition, Our Lady asked Ivanka if she had a wish. Ivanka replied she would like to see her mother. This has been a request Our Lady has fulfilled for Ivanka on four separate occasions over the years. When Ivanka describes her favorite of these special visits, tears spring to her eyes as she remembers the joy of that moment.

“The third time was so happy. I had completed a difficult assignment for the Blessed Mother. As a reward, She brought my mother to me. I had seen her two other times, but the third time she came over to me, and embraced me and said, ‘Dearest Ivanka, I’m so proud of you!’


Early descriptions of Ivanka described her as superficial, like a typical teenager, but more so than the other visionaries. Many years later, Ivanka herself admitted to having thought a great deal about fashion. “Before the Blessed Mother began to appear to me, I thought of it often. As my prayer life grew, following fashion became boring.” 3 Our Lady confirmed that Ivanka had matured in the spiritual life and that She was pleased by her efforts. Our Lady spoke these words to Ivanka the day of her final daily apparition (May 7, 1985):

“With all your heart you have accepted the plans which my Son and I formulated, and you have accomplished everything.”

As She did with Mirjana and Jakov, Our Lady gave to Ivanka a gift that would help to sustain her in this life after her daily apparitions ceased. She would be able to see Our Lady once a year, on the anniversary of the apparitions, June 25th, for the rest of her life.

Ivanka married Raiko Elez on December 28, 1986, the Feast of the Holy Family. She was the first visionary to marry. There were many who expected all the visionaries to enter the religious life. And yet, Our Lady had made it very clear to all of them that they had freedom in deciding their vocations. Now that all the visionaries have married, it would appear that the world is in need of witnesses to holy family life. Today, Raiko and Ivanka have three children.

]]> http://www.medjugorjemap.com/visionary-ivanka-ivankovic-elez/feed/ 1 http://www.medjugorjemap.com/about-the-six-visionaries/ http://www.medjugorjemap.com/about-the-six-visionaries/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:24 +0000 admin http://www.medjugorjemap.com/?p=42
Mirjana was 16 years old at the time the apparitions began (born on March 18, 1965). Her home was in Sarajevo, where she lived with her parents, but she would spend her summers in Medjugorje visiting her grandparents who were from there. It was she, along with Ivanka Ivankovic, on June 24, 1981, who first saw Our Lady.

In September 1981, several of the visionaries left Medjugorje because of school (though they still returned to the village frequently). Mirjana, with an above average intelligence, pursued a college degree in Sarajevo and became the only visionary to complete such an education. However, it was when she fully decided on this course to take in her life that her daily apparitions ceased. She relayed that had she not chosen college, Our Lady perhaps would have still continued to appear to her daily. In an interview with Fr. Tomislav Vlasic on January 10, 1983, Mirjana said:

“I asked Her (Our Lady) why She would no longer appear to me, after such a long time, and She explained that because I had decided to continue my schooling, I must learn to live my life without Her direct help and advice. She told me that I’m no different from any other young person, any other girl, and that I must live accordingly.”

Mirjana was referring to the meeting of December 24, 1982, when Our Lady announced to her that the following day would be her last apparition, though she would see Our Lady on her birthday each year, on March 18th, until her death. Mirjana was devastated to receive, not only this news, but it was in this apparition that she was given the 10th and last secret. Our Lady encouraged her to be courageous and assured her that whenever she was in a crisis, Our Lady would come to her.

“Now you will have to turn to God in the faith like any other person. I will appear to you on the day of your birthday and when you will experience difficulties in life. Mirjana, I have chosen you; I have confided in you everything that is essential. I have also shown you many terrible things. You must now bear it all with courage. Think of Me and think of the tears I must shed for that. You must remain courageous. You have quickly grasped the messages. You must also understand now that I have to go away. Be courageous.”

Mirjana went into a deep depression, but in time, gradually learned to accept and live her life without the consolation of seeing Our Lady every day. It was to Mirjana that Our Lady first entrusted all 10 secrets, some of which involve chastisements for the world. She was told to choose a priest to whom, when the time came, she would confide the secrets. It is up to the priest to make the secrets public. Mirjana was so afraid that she would not be able to remember all the dates and times that are contained in the secrets, and so Our Lady gave her a parchment-type material upon which all the secrets were written. Only Mirjana is able to read what is written there. A priest friend once questioned Mirjana as to why Our Lady would afford her the grace to appear to her when she was in trouble or a crisis, when all other people must go through difficulties without such a grace.

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