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10.April,96.

The cross is at the center of everything, so we say. That is nothing extraordinary for us as long as it is for someone else. But, when we recognize some cross as our own, how do we behave? Are we still courageous, do we stick to our own past words and reflections or do we just shake our head with indifference? Let us not say it does not matter! Our behavior should, at every moment, agree with our reflections.

The one who has understood what the Easter season is, will always know how to behave in the correct way. Easter is not just one of the family celebrations, even though it is also that. Easter is an attitude toward life. It changes a man and makes him more capable of enduring all difficulties on this earth. For such a person everything makes sense, because he simply knows which are the profound joys of life. They cannot be found in our consumeristic society of today. But, having Easter within us, we are capable of living with satisfaction on this earth and at the same time of meriting life in our next homeland.

Fr. Miljenko

Number of Holy Communions and Concelebrants

During the month of March at the shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Medjugorje 45,400 Holy Communions were distributed and there were 964 concelebrations at holy mass by priests from the homeland and from abroad or an average of 32 daily.

Blessing of the new bells

On the Feast of the Annunciation, new bells were blessed in the Church of Medjugorje. Of the total five bells, three are new. One bell is dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions in the parish of Medjugorje, one to St. James, the patron of the parish, and one to the 50th anniversary of the death of the 64 martyrs of the Hercegovina Franciscans. The bells were blessed by Fr. Tomislav Pervan, Provincial of the Hercegovina Franciscans.

Mirjana's annual apparition

This year also the visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had her apparition on March 18, 1996. After the apparition Mirjana transmitted Our Lady's message: "Dear Children! On this message, which I give you today through my servant, I desire for you to reflect a long time. My children, great is the love of God. Do not close your eyes, do not close your ears, while I repeat to you: Great is His love! Hear my call and my supplication which I direct to you. Consecrate your heart and make in it the home of the Lord. May He dwell in it forever. My eyes and my heart will be here, even when I will no longer appear. Act in everything as I ask you and lead you to the Lord. Do not reject from yourself the name of God, that you may not be rejected. Accept my messages that you may be accepted. Decide, my children, it is the time of decision. Be of just and innocent heart that I may lead you to your Father, for this that I am here, is His great love. Thank you for being here!

Prayer-Information seminar

The third international seminar for leaders of prayer groups, Centers of Peace, and of Medjugorje pilgrims was held at Tucepi from March 17-21, 1996. About 100 leaders from 17 countries, two visionaries and the priests who work in Medjugorje participated. In conclusion the following was adopted.

Aware of the circumstances in which the Church and the world are situated, we have in prayer sought the way to proceed with Our Lady into the 21st century. The lectures and exchange of ideas in the discussions and work according to language groups has brought us to conclusions that we wish to announce to all prayer groups, Centers of Peace, pilgrims and to the parish of Medjugorje:

1. The future, no matter how uncertain it might be in itself, rests in the hands of God. But God awaits our contribution for making it safer and more human. And Our Lady has called us all, in the words of her Son, to full conversion (June 1990; July 1991);

2. "Read Sacred Scripture, live it, and pray to understand the signs of the times" (June 1991; August 1993). Our Lady's Medjugorje messages are an urgent call for us - to live the Gospel of her Son;

3. It is Our Lady's desire that throughout the whole world prayer groups be organized that will open the participants to the Spirit of God to recognize in the Bible God's word for our time and in prayer to discover ways for its accomplishment.

4. Prayer groups should be the heart and soul of parish communities, a source of confidence and efficacious love and peace;

5. With its archive, library, information booth, Press Bulletin, Robofax, Internet, BBS, and its radio, soon to come, the Information Center "MIR" Medjugorje is at the service of pilgrims, Centers of Peace and prayer groups.

6. Cooperation and exchange of information is recommended between the Information Center "MIR" and the Centers throughout the world, as well as a supportive mutual closeness of the Centers within each individual country.
The seminar concluded with a joint pilgrimage to Medjugorje where representatives of the individual language groups also held a press conference. After the press conference a promotion was held for the seven books of Fr. Slavko Barbaric under the common heading: "Pray with the Heart". All of Barbaric's books are translated into about 20 languages and some of them have reached a million copies. They are the fruit of his long standing labor with pilgrims at the shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje.

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Last Modified 04/25/96