29
January 03, 1996

PRESS BULLETIN - English




M E D I T A T I O N

The society in which we live tells us that we have entered a new time. One year has ended and another has begun. I do not know personally when that new time begins for us. Perhaps it is when, in spite of daily problems, we succeed in turning to our God and drinking in His wisdom by keeping company with Him. It is not important whether society feels that way. It is important that we act like that.

In her last message Our Lady speaks of a new time. One such new time will be the opportunity to receive God's grace. It would be unreasonable to neglect that. Security will not be offered to us by our civilization which is itself insecure. Security gets sucked up and smothered in the very society itself. Real security is security in God. One attains it by perseverance. May that walk of ours toward it be blessed.


N E W S

NUMBER OF HOLY COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRANTS

During the month of December at the shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Medjugorje 43,800 Holy Communions were distributed and there were 921 concelebrations of holy mass by priests from the homeland and from abroad or an average of 30 daily.


ADVENT

During the course of the novena in preparation for Christmas, besides the evening prayer program in the church, the rosary was prayed on Apparition Hill and in the "Domus Pacis" house of prayer five seminars of prayer and fasting were held. About 250 pilgrims from home and abroad participated in these seminars with the desire of preparing for Christmas through prayer and fasting and getting closer to the mystery of God being born on earth.


CHRISTMAS

In the course of the Christmas and New Year holidays in the shrine of the Queen of Peace there reigned an atmosphere of peace, prayer and fellowship among the faithful who arrived from all parts of the world. The most numerous gatherings were from Italy, France, America, Austria and Germany.

About 3000 faithful participated in the Christmas Eve holy mass. After mass the children expressed Christmas greetings in song to all the assembled believers and to Medjugorje pilgrims throughout the world. With the faithful overflowing in church, a prayer vigil began at 10 PM and ended with holy mass at midnight. The Christmas feast itself passed in a genuine mood of peace and Christmas joy of pilgrims gathered around their Mother.

The Christmas celebration in the shrine of Medjugorje was carried by some TV stations: Croatian National Television, Associated Press and Reuter.

Of the public officials and politicians who visited the shrine of the Queen of Peace for Christmas we single out the visit of Mr. Gojko Susac, Croatian Minister of Defense; Mr. Vlado Soljic, Minister of Defense for the Croatian republic of Herceg-Bosna and Mr. Ivan Milas, a member of the Croatian government.


NEW YEAR

As already up till now for several years in a row, this year also a prayer vigil for the NewYear was held. It began with prayer at 10 PM and ended with holy mass at midnight. About 3000 faithful were present. Again for this occasion the most numerous were young people who arrived from almost every country of Europe and from the United States. In this way the parishioners and pilgrims together entered the New Year singing and praying for the peace so needed by people of today.

Also this year in the "Domus Pacis" house of prayer a prayer seminar was held for young people who desired to enter the New Year in the joy of prayer and fellowship. About 40 young people from home and abroad took part in the seminar.


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

*** By the end of January at the very latest we request you to inform us of your arrival for the prayer - information seminar that will be held from March 17 - 21, 1996 in Hotel "Alga" in Tucepi. Send in your reservation by fax number +387-88-642-339, designated "For the Information Center."

Simultaneous translation is being organized for all language groups. Cost of housing, transportation and seminar is 260 DM per person in a double room. Single room supplement is 32 DM. Payment will be made to the seminar organizers upon arrival at the hotel. There is the possibility of organized transportation from the Split airport to Hotel "Alga" in Tucepi. All who need transportation on March 17 should indicate the exact time of their arrival to the "Medjugorje- Mir Association" in Split by the end of January at the very latest on fax number +385-21-361-354. Transportation from Tucepi to Medjugorje will be organized for the last day.

The Seminar Program was announced in Press Bulletin #27. Now you can obtain it at any time from our RoboFax by pressing number 6 on your fax machine (the same number for obtaining Our Lady's message).

*** As already announced in Press Bulletin #27, we have established the "Mir Information Center" of the Queen of Peace Shrine in Medjugorje with the aim of helping spread the message of Our Lady. We always have been and always will be at the service of everyone who comes to our shrine and to everyone throughout the world. Recently we are making efforts to expand our activity with new services that require new material equipment. We shall be grateful to all who assist us with this in any way whatsoever. We request you to send your contribution to: Franciscan Caritas, Bank of Croatia d. d. Zagreb, Split branch office, account number: NR72700 3-210-00267-6; SWIFT: CRO AHR2XA, with the designation "For the Information Center."


Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice Mira (Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
Information Office: 00387-36-651-988
Parish Office: 00387-36-650-206; 650-310; 651-333
Fax: 00387-36-651-444
Radio: 00387-36-651-100; fax 651-300
E-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Automatic Message: 060-325-325. By calling this number you can hear the latest message of Our Lady in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, as well as also the meditation and the news from Medjugorje which is updated every Wednesday.


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Last Modified 11/25/2002