101
October 07, 1998

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

As Sacred Scripture testifies to us, the Jews began step by step to understand what God was telling them and what he was expecting from them. Sometimes also they knew how to err and take the wrong path, but thanks to the prophets and the constant word of God they once again came back to the right path. Thus they perseveringly collected their own experience with God like bees collect honey. The result was that through them God spoke out to the whole world.

Today God has begun to speak to each one of us and wants us to be witnesses in this world. In a special way he is speaking in the parish of Medjugorje and wants his word spread to the whole world. Each person that undertakes this will be his co-worker, a friend on whom God will rely.

The times are serious. Were they not, Our Lady would not have continuously spoken to us for such a long time. Our common rejection of the faith of our fathers has thereby made them serious. As a community we have turned on the wrong path. We need prophets again to return us to the right path. Meditating on the messages that the Queen of Peace transmits to us, we can observe that she is reckoning that indeed we ourselves are those prophets. Only, is that sufficiently clear to us? If it is, let's not be afraid of our mission. Let's remember what our fathers believed in. Let's embrace their fidelity and bravely go forward. It isn't important how someone might laugh in our face. The victory is ours.

Fr. Miljenko Stojic

NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRANTS

We shall enumerate some of the countries from which pilgrims visited Medjugorje during the month of September: Poland, England, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Korea, Canada, United States, Australia, France, Lebanon, Scotland, Slovenia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Japan, Hungary, Brazil, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Portugal, Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina, Chili, Lower Antilles, Gabon, Venezuela, Colombia, Spain, Canary Islands, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Aruba, Bonaire, and, of course, Croatia.

NINTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN CENTERS OF PEACE

The representatives of the eighteen Latin American countries gathered in Medjugorje in the last week of September for the Ninth International Meeting of the Centers of Peace. These Centers originated as gathering places for all those who sense the importance of Our Lady's call in Medjugorje. Their activity pertains primarily to the spreading of the messages, and the organization of prayer groups and pilgrimages. As we have already said, this is already the ninth meeting, but only the second time it was held in Medjugorje. About 350 participants spent the week in prayer and meditation, exchanging the experiences of their years- long labor in the spreading of Our Lady's messages of peace among the faithful of the Spanish speaking world. Special emphasis was laid on the necessity of the mutual cooperation of all the centers for the sake of a credible spreading of Our Lady's messages to the world. This initiative is also a good example to everyone of how it is possible to work together in the spreading of the message of peace.

MISSIONARY TRAVEL OF FR. SLAVKO BARBARIC

Already for the eighth time in the organization of Mr. Bernard Ellis and the Medjugorje Network Fr. Slavko Barbaric has been conducting a prayer week in England. That kind of meeting was held seven times at Aylesford with the Carmelites, while this year it was held at several places. Jelena Vasilj collaborated in the meetings and witnessed about her own experience. On his return Fr. Slavko Barbaric among other things said this:

"Upon my very arrival August 30th an afternoon meeting with about 3000 youth was conducted at the Benedictine Abbey of Worth. On August 31st about 2000 faithful were present at a large meeting held in Wintershall with the convert Peter Hutley. We had a meeting with about 800 faithful September 1st at St. Joseph Seminary at Upholland in Manchester. On September 2nd there was a meeting with twenty priests at St. Joseph Parish in Sunderland near Newcastle. Three Anglican pastors also participated in the presentations on the Medjugorje messages and in the common discussion. After that followed the Medjugorje prayer program in the packed parish church of Holy Cross. Many of the faithful participated. We flew to Amsterdam September 4th and in the afternoon that same day met with our imprisoned at Den Haag. The meeting was touching. We celebrated Holy Mass together. On September 5th a one day prayer meeting was held at the Marian shrine of Beauraing in Belgium. Enriched by the prayer experiences and grateful to God that we again saw how Our Lady has turned and moved so many to prayer, on September 6th we returned to Medjugorje.

AFTER NUMBER 100. . .

The last Press Bulletin was the jubilee Number 100. That was a chance for all of us to remember all we have been through and had to do together to cover that distance. We are conscious, nevertheless, that the way ahead of us is very long. And also certainly harder. It is not easy, namely, to realize all our good efforts to be more connected with all of you, and thereby to retain all that we call the spirit of Our Lady's messages. But, we trust in Divine Providence to which we surrender our ways and intentions.

We would like now to ask you altogether for a still closer cooperation. It would be to our great satisfaction if you would write us and express your opinion about everything that the Information Office is doing (web pages, robofax, Information Office, Guide Association, radio station, archives, seminars etc.). You may write to us at our e-mail address: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr or by our fax number ++387 88 651 333 designated for the Information Center.

Our plans are aimed at expanding and finishing everything that we have started so far and that is possible for us only with your comments and help. We still have in mind a big project we would like to accomplish. Already now the evening prayer program of the rosary and Holy Mass, in addition to the radio station, can be followed over the Internet and by audio off-line, that is, by downloading the audio portion of the evening prayer program. Our plans in the near future are to make it accessible by the internet also on-line, that is, live and not just audio, but also video. To do that we need the latest technical equipment.

All of you who have come to Medjugorje have seen how many people and how much work is needed to provide pilgrims with everything necessary. And all that presupposes significant financial means. For that reason we have also freely asked you for help, because all of our work is done with the intention of preserving the originality of the Medjugorje message and in that way to help you, the Medjugorje pilgrims.

For that purpose we also established the Association of Information MIR Medjugorje Supporters. Anyone who wishes to, can become a member of that association. Acceptance is decided by the administration of the CENTER. A member of the association is due to make a free will annual contribution, and to collaborate in the work of the CENTER by suggestions, observations or some other appropriate manner. Each member will receive a membership card and will be kept regularly informed about the work of the CENTER. Your contribution can be made in cash or by check at this account number:

Name of Bank: HRVATSKA BANKA D.D. MOSTAR

S.W.I.F.T CODE HBMO BA 2X 7100-840-02774-6

ZA INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR MEDUGORJE

Those who in fact wish to remain anonymous friends of this Center can put their contribution in the box that is located in the Information Office of the shrine.

We thank you heartily in advance for your gift and will remember you in our daily prayers!

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 10/07/98