114
April 07, 1999

E A S T E R

Man gladly snatches at answers by halves and is inclined there where irrevocable decisions do not have to be made. That is understandable: we are on a path even in that kind of a hoop where sense and nonsense, death and life are mixed up, where everything is unfinished and incomplete. But it must not just stay that way. Life goes on and reality forces us, whether we like it or not, to give unambiguous answers that we back up by our personal life. Those decisions are for life or for death, for sense or for nonsense. (K. Rahner)

Jesus accepts rejection, he accepts it even though he does not want it, he accepts even death. But, he returns as the Risen One among those who drove him out of the world. As the Risen One, the Living One, he returns among his disciples, to those among by whom he was interrogated because of his last days.

The same Jesus in a new way is in the community of disciples. He is the same today in our community.

A blessed Easter to you and a blessed encounter with the Risen One!

Fr. Ivan Landeka

N E W S

EASTER IN MEDJUGORJE

During Holy Week and for Easter itself in Medjugorje there were continuously arriving new groups of pilgrims who wanted to prepare here and to celebrate together the greatest Christian feastday - Easter. In the Medjugorje shrine Easter was celebrated by several thousand pilgrims. Due to such a large number of the faithful the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday had to be organized in ten languages - specially for each language group. Among foreign pilgrims the most numerous groups were from: Germany, Austria and France. An exceptionally large number for all these days were pilgrims from all parts of Croatia, as well as from the surrounding areas that came to Medjugorje for their Easter confession. That so many pilgrims visited Medjugorje is witnessed by the fact that an average of twenty priests were hearing confessions during the three hours duration of each evening's prayer program.

NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRANTS

During March in the parish of Medjugorje 52 000 Holy Communions were distributed, and there were 1041 concelebrations at Holy Masses by priests from home and abroad.

Some of the countries from which pilgrims came to visit Medjugorje during March and for the Easter holidays are: France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Letonia, USA, Mexico, Spain, Aruba, Colombia, Argentina, Australia, Portugal, England, Czech Republic, Canada, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Reunion, Holland, Denmark and, of course, Croatia.

PRAYER AND FASTING SEMINARS

During Lent in the "Domus Pacis" house of prayer five prayer and fasting seminars were conducted. Participating in the seminars were 230 pilgrims from various language groups. The seminars were conducted by Fr. Slavko Barbaric.

MISSIONARY TRAVEL OF FR. SLAVKO BARBARIC

On March 19, 1999 Fr. Slavko Barbaric visited the Croatian prisoners at Den Haag. The meeting lasted from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. All of them made their Easter confession and attended Holy Mass. With Fr. Slavko was also Fr. Pavo Dominkovic, a Franciscan from Bosnia and missionary for our workers in Holland. He regularly visits and tends to our prisoners. All of them are very grateful for each visit, especially for the visits from Medjugorje because Medjugorje means very much to each of them.

On March 20th Fr. Slavko conducted a prayer meeting at the Belgian National Shrine of Banneux, where Our Lady appeared as Mother of the Poor in 1932-1933 and called for prayer for the conversion of sinners. The program began at 10:00 AM and ended at 6:00 PM with adoration and prayer for healing. Many prayer groups participated and ab out 3000 were present.

On March 21st a prayer meeting was held in Eindhoven, Holland. It was organized by the "Crucified and Wounded Love" community which has its mother house in Maastricht. This community is very young, yet very active. They have accepted Medjugorje and are spreading the message. All these meetings are only new proofs of how much God has done through Mary, Queen of Peace.

A N N O U N C E M E N T

With the time change to the summer schedule, the evening prayer program in Medjugorje

begins with prayer of the rosary at 6:00 PM, Holy Mass at 7:00 PM after which follow the blessing prayers. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is on Thursday after the evening mass and on Wednesday and Saturday from 10:00 - 11:00 PM. The prayer of the rosary on Apparition Hill takes place on Sunday at 3:00 PM and the Way of the Cross on Cross Mountain also at 3:00 PM on Friday.

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 04/07/99