For almost 45 years, pilgrims have come in search of profound spiritual experience and a break from the mundane, writes Michael Kelly
The name Medjugorje literally means ‘between mountains’. Mountains hold profound spiritual significance in the Judeo-Christian tradition, serving as sacred spaces where heaven and earth seem to meet, facilitating divine encounters, revelation, and transformation.
In the Bible, mountains are often depicted as locations where God reveals himself to humanity, offering divine commandments or intimate communion. Their elevation, piercing the heavens, symbolises closeness to the divine and a separation from the mundane.
For the tens of thousands of Irish people who travel to Medjugorje every year, that separation from the mundane and closeness to God is of the essence of this village in the modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I hadn’t been to Medjugorje in many years, so when the opportunity to travel there arose I jumped at the opportunity. Many people I know literally swear by the spirit of the place. Many other people I know – also good Catholics – are sceptical about what the Church describes as the ‘phenomenon’ of Medjugorje.
Millions
Since June 24, 1981, this unassuming place has become a global pilgrimage site, drawing millions of faithful seeking solace, conversion, and a closer encounter with God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known here as the ‘Queen of Peace.’
The region’s history is marked by a complex interplay of religious and ethnic identities. For centuries, it was part of the Ottoman Empire, where the Franciscan order preserved the Catholic faith amid pressures from both Islamic rule and tensions with the Eastern Orthodox Church. By 1981, when the alleged apparitions began, Medjugorje was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a communist state where religion was tolerated but not encouraged. The death of President Josip Broz Tito in 1980 had sparked ethnic tensions and an anti-communist backlash, setting a turbulent backdrop for the reported visions.
On June 24, 1981, the Feast of St John the Baptist, six young people —four girls (Ivanka Ivanković, Mirjana Dragičević, Vicka Ivanković, and Marija Pavlović) and two boys (Ivan Dragičević and Jakov Čolo), ranging in age from 10 to 17 — claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary on Podbrdo Hill, today known as Apparition Hill.
These reported apparitions, unlike those at Lourdes or Fatima, are remarkable for their frequency, with some visionaries reporting daily encounters with Our Lady for over four decades”
Ivanka first saw the figure of a woman holding a child, later identified as Mary, the ‘Gospa’ (Croatian for lady). The next day, the group of six witnessed the apparition together, marking the beginning of a phenomenon that persists to this day.
These reported apparitions, unlike those at Lourdes or Fatima, are remarkable for their frequency, with some visionaries reporting daily encounters with Our Lady for over four decades.
The backgrounds of the alleged seers are typical of rural life in Medjugorje — humble, devout, and rooted in community. They say that each of them has a specific mission assigned by Our Lady. Vicka, the eldest, prays for the sick; Ivan for priests and young people; Marija for the souls in purgatory; Mirjana for unbelievers; Ivanka for families; and Jakov, the youngest, for the sick and those who suffer.
Apparitions
Three of them — Vicka, Ivan, and Marija — report ongoing daily apparitions at 6.40pm, while Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov receive them annually or monthly. All claim to have received some of the ten ‘secrets’ concerning future events, with Mirjana being the first to receive all ten by 1982. These secrets, which remain undisclosed except for a promised “supernatural, indestructible sign” on Apparition Hill, are said to include warnings for the world.
The messages attributed to Our Lady in Medjugorje are simple, centred on peace, conversion, prayer, fasting, and reconciliation. She identifies herself as the ‘Queen of Peace,’ urging humanity to return to her son, Jesus. The messages are often summarised in the ‘five stones,’ likened to David’s weapons against Goliath: prayer (especially the Rosary), fasting (Wednesdays and Fridays on bread and water), daily Scripture reading, monthly confession, and frequent participation in the Eucharist.
Over the years, the Church’s stance on Medjugorje has evolved from scepticism to cautious acceptance that it is a place of prayer, without passing judgement on whether or not the Mother of God is appearing there.
Pope Francis, in 2017, expressed that while the initial visions merited examination, ongoing apparitions were of ‘dubious value’”
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI established the Ruini Commission to investigate, which concluded in 2014 that the first seven apparitions warranted further study, though later visions were less certain. Pope Francis, in 2017, expressed that while the initial visions merited examination, ongoing apparitions were of “dubious value.” Nonetheless, recognizing the “abundant fruits of grace” — conversions, vocations, and renewed sacramental life — he authorised official pilgrimages in May 2019, a decision formalised with a youth festival that August. But the pivotal moment came on September 19, 2024, when the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with Pope Francis’ approval, issued a nihil obstat for devotion to the ‘Queen of Peace’ at Medjugorje. This ruling encourages pilgrimages but emphasises that they should focus on encountering Mary through prayer and sacraments, not seeking the visionaries or presumed apparitions.
Opinions
People I met during my week in Medjugorje had various opinions on the veracity of the alleged visions. But what they were all agreed on was that Medjugorje was a place of profound peace where they encountered God.
Over 40 million pilgrims have visited since 1981 including around 30,000 Irish people every year, some surely drawn by reports of healings, conversions, and vocations. St James Church, the heart of the parish, hosts daily Masses and confessions, with lines of penitents reflecting a ‘confessional of the world.’
It’s a fact of religious places that often people who are sceptical about faith in general, can’t see the inner reality of a place like Knock, Lourdes, Fatima or Medjugorje”
Pilgrims climb Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, praying the Rosary and Stations of the Cross, often reporting profound spiritual experiences – many people I met descending the mountains spoke of being unburdened. In private moments, some pilgrims shared with me inner pains, deep feelings of loss and isolation and profound worries for loved ones at home. They all said that the opportunity to be together with so many people of faith engaging in the rituals associated with the shrine mean the world to them and gave them food for the journey.
Were they looking for miracles? “Mirales happen in Medjugorje every day of the week,” a local woman told me. “But not the sort of miracles people come looking for”.
It’s a fact of religious places that often people who are sceptical about faith in general, can’t see the inner reality of a place like Knock, Lourdes, Fatima or Medjugorje. They point to the shops and grumble about ‘commercialism’ yet never reflect on the fact that the gift shops are a response to the pilgrims’ needs.
In Medjugorje, I was struck by the number of people I met who have been there dozens of times. When I ask why they keep coming back, their answers all lead down the same road: a sense of peace in the midst of a turbulent world.
Devoted
Some people I meet are utterly devoted to the messages the visionaries say they receive from the Mother of God, but for most people, their pilgrimage is wider than whether the visions are real. “Sure, Heaven touches the earth here every day of the week in the Mass,” a man tells me. It is a sign that peoples’ faith is deeper than some of the critics of Medjugorje would like to claim.
From almost everywhere in Medjugorje, one can see Podbrdo Hill. My mind and heart is frequently fixed on the spiritual meaning of mountains, whether I’m atop it or looking at it sipping a coffee.
Mountains represent the spiritual journey, requiring effort, perseverance, and faith to ascend. They are metaphors for the soul’s striving toward God, often involving trials and purification.
God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. The ascent symbolises Abraham’s faith and obedience, culminating in God’s provision of a ram, prefiguring Christ’s sacrifice.
The village’s transformation from a rural outpost to a global spiritual hub mirrors the Gospel’s call to find God in the humble and unexpected”
Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel demonstrates God’s power over false idols. The mountain becomes a stage for spiritual battle, where Elijah’s faith and prayer restore Israel’s allegiance to God.
As a Catholic, reflecting on Medjugorje evokes both awe and discernment. The village’s transformation from a rural outpost to a global spiritual hub mirrors the Gospel’s call to find God in the humble and unexpected. The visionaries’ ordinary lives remind us that holiness is accessible to all, whether in marriage or religious life. The ‘five stones’ challenge us to deepen our faith through prayer and sacrifice, practices that resonate in a world craving peace.
Yet, the Church’s cautious approach also invites humility. We are not obliged to believe in private revelations, but we cannot deny the fruits — lives changed, families reconciled, vocations born. Medjugorje calls us to focus on Christ through Mary, not on spectacle.
Paradox
For me, Medjugorje remains a paradox — a place of profound grace amid ongoing scrutiny. Its history, rooted in a turbulent region, and its visionaries, ordinary yet burdened with a divine mission, reflect the mystery of God’s work in the world.
For Catholics, it is a reminder that faith thrives not in certainty but in trust, prayer, and openness to the Holy Spirit. At its heart, the message is no different than the simple plea Our Lady makes in the Scriptures: “Do whatever he tells you”. That’s not a bad message to take home from my pilgrimage.
Michael Kelly is Director of Public Affairs for the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need Ireland and a former editor of The Irish Catholic. He travelled to Medjugorje with Marian Pilgrimages www.marian.ie
