100
September 23, 1998

PRESS BULLETIN





M E D I T A T I O N

THE CROSS - A SIGN WHICH DOES NOT FRIGHTEN

In the parish of Medjugorje the feast of the Triumps of the Cross was celebrated. In spite of the bad weather, the cross on Mount Krievac attracted ten thousand faithful. The storm was not able to spoil the festive spirits of those who know about the meaning of the cross: the cross does not frighten but gives courage. And for this reason, one did not see any somber faces, one only saw happy faces on Krievac. The Holy Father will again visit Croatia soon. For many years, he has been addressing all Christians with the cross staff in his hand. With this, he does not want to make people afraid of God but wants to stimulate them to a life with God.

The Holy Father will visit Split on the feast of Saint Francis. The suffering Christ was very important in the life of Saint Francis because of everything that happened in his holy life. However, he did not forget the glorified Lord. But the real life begins for Saint Francis in front of the crucified Christ. This is why his poverty is not an unbearable thought but an endearing lifestyle. According to the testimony of the visionaries, the Gospa appeared to them also with the cross. For Mary, who is not only the Mother of Sorrows, the cross is not an affliction of sorrow, but rather a sign through which She, as a mother, has overcome the loss of Her son. This is why She says, "Pray especially in front of the cross, from which great graces are coming!" And on another occasion, "The cross should be in a visible place in the home!"

Father Ivan Landeka


N E W S

LAST REGULAR APPARITION OF THE QUEEN OF PEACE TO JAKOV COLO SEPTEMBER 12, 1998

While on his journey in America Jakov reported the following text to us from Miami.

"On Friday September 11th during the regular apparition Our Lady told me to prepare myself specially by prayer for tomorrow's apparition because she will confide the 10th secret to me. On Saturday September 12th Our Lady came at 11:15 (local time). When she came she greeted me as always with 'Praised be Jesus'. While she was confiding the 10th secret to me she was sad.

Then with a gentle smile she said to me: 'Dear child! I am your mother and I love you unconditionally. From today I will not be appearing to you every day, but only on Christmas, the birthday of my Son. Do not be sad, because as a mother I will always be with you and like every true mother I will never leave you. And you continue further to follow the way of my Son, the way of peace and love and try to persevere in the mission that I have confided to you. Be an example of that man who has known God and God's love. Let people always see in you an example of how God acts on people and how God acts through them. I bless you with my motherly blessing and I thank you for having responded to my call'. The apparition ended at 11:45."

P.S. In a short telephone conversation with Fr. Slavko Barbaric, Jakov said that he cried for a long time and that he is very sad. According to the testimony of the visionaries, three of them now still have apparitions: Vicka, Marija and Ivan. The Gospa has given each of them 9 secrets.


THE FEAST OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

This year, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross was also celebrated on Krievac on September 13th. More than 10.000 faithful from Croatia and from abroad took part in the Holy Mass, which, together with 50 priests, was celebrated by Dr. Father Ivan Dugandzic, the Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery in Zagreb and Professor at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Zagreb. As in previous years, the pilgrims arrived in Medjugorje throughout the whole night. Many of them had walked to Medjugorje hundreds of kilometers on foot, some of them even bare-footed. Neither the wind nor the rain could detain the pilgrims from participating in the celebration of the Holy Mass even though, due to the bad weather, there were less pilgrims than usual.

We would like to take this opportunity to give you a brief history of Mt. Krievac and the cross, which was built on its top. About one kilometer air distance from the church of Medjugorje rises Mount Krievac which, together with the Apparition Hill, forms a triangle. The parish priest, Father Bernardin Smoljan, and the residents of Medjugorje built this cross of reinforced concrete, which is 8,56m high. They inscribed the following words on the cross: "To Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the human race, as a sign of our faith, love and hope, in memory of the 1900th anniversary of the passion of Jesus".

At the center of the cross they built in a relic of the true Cross of Jesus, which they had received from Rome. This relic was obtained from the larger part of the true Cross, which remains in the Church of 'Santa Croce di Gerusalemme' in Rome. The building of cross was completed on March 15, 1934. Later it became a custom to celebrate Holy Mass at its base on the first Sunday after September 8th, in honor of the Triumph of the Cross. Mt. Krievac doesn't draw the numerous pilgrims because of its natural beauty or because of the large cross erected on its top, but because many pilgrims claim to have seen various "signs" of light and other signs on this cross since the apparitions began in Medjugorje. They have all associated these signs with the apparitions of Our Lady, with the message of the apparitions in Medjugorje, with peace between God and man and with peace among man. They have understood that the way to this peace leads unavoidably through the cross. On this mountain, many have found peace and discovered their way to God. Many pilgrims have also included the veneration of the Cross in their religious life and put it into practice. By climbing this steep and difficult path up to the cross on top of the mountain, the pilgrims demonstrate their faith in the Way of the Cross. Along this path up to the top of Mt. Krievac, fifteen bronze reliefs of the Stations of the Cross have been mounted; each one of these also shows Our Lady. The Gospa accompanies Jesus but also each one of us on our way of the cross throughout our life.


THE LITURGICAL PROGRAM

We would like to inform all pilgrims and all groups of pilgrims who come to Medjugorje that in the winter time the daily evening program takes place from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (5:00 pm Rosary, 6:00 pm Holy Mass, followed by the Blessing of Religious Articles, Healing Prayer and the Glorious Mysteries). Every Wednesday and Saturday from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm there is Adoration of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and each Thursday there is also an hour of Adoration immediately after Holy Mass. Each Friday immediately after Holy Mass, there is an hour of Veneration of the Cross. On Sundays at 3:00 pm a rosary for peace is being prayed on Apparition Hill and on Fridays also at 3:00 pm on Mt. Krizevac. There are opportunities for confession at least one hour before the evening program begins. This is the new schedule as of Sepbember 14, 1998.

Holy Masses for the various language groups take place during the morning, as previously agreed upon.

All information regarding the prayer program in the Shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje and all other infomation can be obtained through the Information Center under the tel. No.: +387 88 651 988 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

We also ask all organizers of pilgrimage groups to inform the pilgrims upon their arrival in Medjugorje that all needed information can be obtained in the Information Center next to the parish and not in the parish office itself.


EDUCATIONAL COURSES

At the beginning of the school year, the Information Center also started computer and foreign language courses in order to help the young people as much as they can.


THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRESS BULLETIN

While sitting here at my computer in order to write something appropriate for this anniversary issue, it comes to my mind that perhaps it would be best to simply copy what we already wrote in the "0" edition of the Press Bulletin on November 23, 1994, since the reasons for its formation still apply today.

It has not been easy to reach this 100th issue. It took much effort. But, of course, we are very pleased about the positive reactions we have received. Thus, we were able to get to know each other better and to clarify the events of Medjugorje to our readers. We have always tried to transmit to you the official position of the Shrine of the Queen of Peace and this will continue to be our goal.

I also want to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to two co-workers, who have been with the Information Center since its beginning. They are: Mrs. Marija Dugandzic and Mr. Stipe Cavar. Besides many other duties in the Information Center, Marija Dugandzic spends much time in putting together each edition of the Press Bulletin. For this, I sincerely want to thank her, personally, as well as on your behalf and on behalf of the Shrine. Stipe Cavar has conscientiously been in charge of technical matters and thus has made it possible for you to receive the Press Bulletin. I thank both him and Marija.

In addition to Marija and Stipe, I want to thank the great Croatian poet Kresimir Sego. He is in charge of the publications of the Center. Later, we were joined by Ivo Sego who, with his experience, also helps in the publication of the Press Bulletin. I also thank him sincerely.

The above-mentioned persons thus make up the editorial staff of the Bulletin. I hope that with the help of God and Our Lady we will continue to be able to produce the Press Bulletin conscientiously. And we shall all continue to read it and hand it on to others.

May the Queen of Peace also continue to be your light and guidepost in life.

Father Miljenko Stojic
Director of the Information Center "Mir"


Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice mira ( Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje, BiH, fax number: +387-88-651-444.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
You can receive the latest issue of the Press Bulletin at any time on your own fax machine in the tone mode by dialing the
Robofax in our Information Center at +387 88 65 15 55.
E-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Published every other Wednesday.


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Last Modified 09/23/98