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July 03, 1996

What do we need in order to be happy? We will never have a constant and unchanging answer to this question. Or will we?

When we're hungry, happiness would be lack of hunger, when we're imprisoned, happiness would be freedom, etc. We can continue like this forever and we still wouldn't have answered the question what is it that brings happiness.

Whoever has been with Our Lady during these years has discovered this question, and I believe they have found the true answer. She herself expressly did and didn't offer an answer. She led us upon the path and desired that we discover the answer ourselves. The end of this road is God himself. The experiences were always different, but all roads seemed to meet under the same theme: holiness.

I don't know if we are holy? I only know that we should never stop trying to be. Sometimes we can tire, and need rest. Other than that, we shouldn't ever, not even for a moment, take another path. We must live our lives as courageous people.

Fr. Miljenko

THE NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRANTS

During the month of June in the shrine of Our Lady, Queen of Peace in Medjugorje 150,000 holy communions were distributed and 3025 priests concelebrated Holy mass from both home and abroad, approximately 100 priests daily.

THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR LADY'S APPARITIONS

During these last fifteen years, Our Lady's presence in this Parish has spread throughout the world with the help of the pilgrims like a concentric circle and has made Medjugorje into the Parish of the world. The confirmation of this is the presence of about 100,000 of the faithful who visited Medjugorje on it`s fifteenth anniversary. It`s impossible to count the countries from where they came in pilgrimmage to the Queen of Peace. The majority of pilgrims were from the homeland, many of them came barefoot, to thank Mary for the gift peace. The evening mass on the eve of the anniversary was celebrated by Father Jozo Zovko. On the anniversary itself, 50,000 of the faithful participated in an open-air mass which was celebrated by the Hecogovinian franciscan, Fr. Ivan Dugandzic, Professor of Sacred Scripture in the Catholic Seminary in Zagreb. The mass was concelebrated by about 250 priests from all over the world, together with the retired Archbishop, Mons. Henry Kennedy from Australia and two active Bishops from Uganda, Mons. John Baptist and Mons. Paul Bakyeng.

During those two days alone; i.e. the 24th and 25th of June, 45,000 Holy Communions were distributed. On the feastday itself, different masses were celebrated at the shrine for different language groups. These numbered about 15 different languages altogether.

On Monday the 24th of June, the eve of the fifteenth anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions, the fifth in a series of annual "Peace walks", was held. The walk began at 6.45 a.m. with a blessing of the pilgrims in front of the Franciscan Seminary at Humac. About 10,000 pilgrims at 7 a.m. set off towards Medjugorje. After their arrival at Medjugorje, the pilgrims gathered in front of the Church for a short community prayer. The "Peace walk" began in the hearts of the pilgrims and the freinds of Medjugorje during the harshest days of the war-in 1992. The 13 kilometre long, prayerful walk was in response to the unrest, violence and hatred, thereby being a fount of true peace and reconciliation.

Also in celebration of the 15th anniversary, a spectacular musical performance, under the title of, "A message of Peace to the World from Medjugorje", took place. Besides the world famous tenor, Jose Carerras and Cecilia Gasdiu, twelve choirs, from twelve different countries participated together with Croatia's national T.V. and Radio orchestra. The concert was directed by Zagreb's celebrated Vjekoslav Sutej. Also on the occasion of the 15th anniversary, the famous "Zagreb Soloists", held a concert in the Parish church. The group came primarily in pilgrimmage for the celebration of this great jubilee.

After visiting the Hill of Apparitions and Krizevac, they gave their majestic concert. Some of their music was composed precisely for this occasion. Their wish is to come every year for the anniversary of the apparitions, and sing for the pilgrims of Medjugorje.

IVANKA'S ANNUAL APPARITION

The visionary Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez had her regular annual apparition on the 25th of June 1996. According to their own testimony the visionaries Vicka, Marija, Ivan and Jakov still continue to have daily apparitions, while Mirjana and Ivanka have an annual apparition. On the occasion of her ultimate daily apparition, the 7th of May 1985, Our Lady entrusting her with the tenth secret, told her that for the rest of her life, she would have an apparition once a year on the anniversary. And so it was, this year too. The apparition took place in her family home, and lasted seven minutes. After the apparition Ivanka said that this had been one of the most beautiful apparitions that she had had up to the present. As well as this Our Lady thanks us for our prayer and for our love and desires that prayer and love become interwoven into every day. In conclusion she invited us to pray for those who were under diabolic posession.

In order to link up with you more efficiently, we have hooked ourselves up to Internet. Our address is: http://www.tel.hr/medjugorje. Momentarily, our pages are in the process of being made, and so ask for some patience and understanding. You may send all your suggestions and comments to our e-mail address: medjugorje-mir@st.tel.hr. If you know of any other internet addresses who give information about Medjugorje, please let us know.

Would all of you who are connected with internet and who already receive Our Lady's message from us through fax please let us know at your earliest convenience.

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Last Modified 07/03/96