It’s my second week in Medjugorje, in the midst of the 23rd annual Youth Festival, among thousands of young people here in praise and worship. Our Lady allowed me the great blessing of making a three week pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Here’s some news from the village:

591 priests, it was announced after yesterday’s Mass, are present in Medjugorje from around the world for the Youth Festival.

The visionary Vicka, I was informed, is unfortunately sick and not in Medjugorje. Vicka is a courageous victim soul who for years has undergone various health trials, offering them up for other souls in her exemplary spiritual life.

Two days ago, during the opening ceremonies at the Youth Festival, the blessings of Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the influential Archbishop of Vienna, were read out to the massive crowd. Cardinal Schonborn has, for years, been a great supporter of Medjugorje.

During a talk, the visionary Marija Pavlovic shared an interesting (yet little known) fact about the spiritual pursuits of the visionaries during the early years of the apparitions. The visionaries, according to Marija, used to do all-night vigils before the Blessed Sacrament, asking their parish priest whether he could allow them to partake in nightly Eucharistic Adoration til the morning hours. What a saintly witness!! I thought to myself. Seldom do we hear of all-night vigils in contemporary Christian devotion, the practice is (most often) associated with medieval saints. Considering that the visionaries combined this with fasting on bread and water every Wednesday and Friday, we see a Catholic devotion that is rooted in a deeper spirituality and asceticism, the kind belonging to those rare heroes that the Church calls saints.

Last but not least–perhaps most importantly–Mirjana had her monthly apparition yesterday on Apparition Hill near Blue Cross. Thousands showed up—oh, how many Italians!!  MaryTV did (as usual) a great job covering the apparition. Click here for the coverage. Most importantly, here is Our Lady’s newest message:

“Dear children, I am with you and I am not giving up. I desire to have you come to know my Son. I desire for my children to be with me in eternal life. I desire for you to feel the joy of peace and to have eternal salvation. I am praying that you may overcome human weaknesses. I am imploring my Son to give you pure hearts. My dear children, only pure hearts know how to carry a cross and know how to sacrifice for all those sinners who have offended the Heavenly Father and who, even today, offend Him, although they have not come to know Him. I am praying that you may come to know the light of true faith which comes only from prayer of pure hearts. It is then that all those who are near you will feel the love of my Son. Pray for those whom my Son has chosen to lead you on the way to salvation. May your mouth refrain from every judgment. Thank you.”

Blessings and prayers from Medjugorje!!