45
August 14, 1996

As we have been growing, so too the teachers who have spoken to us, and who were with us through the events along the way, have changed. When we think about it all it seems that we could put everything under the title or term, responsibility.This term covers all our spirituality, all our philosophy, all the conclusions we have come to through our experience. In other words, we can not wander, but live in conformity with Gods' and mans' laws within us.

Responsibility proceeds from love. If you don't love others, God and yourself, you can never be responsible. Because those around you, God and you yourself will just become the means of satisfying some selfish need. Loving them means you will fulfill them and thay will fulfill you. To face yourself and look yourself straight in the eye is the first step towards responsibility. It is then that one enters the domain of love. Our footsteps are no longer unsure. They have a purpose and know where they are going. But doesn't all this reverberate through Our Lady's words and activity here in Medjugorje?

p. Miljenko

NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRANTS

Throughout the month of July in the Shrine of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Medjugorje 49 000 Holy Communions were distributed and 1488 priests concelebrated Holy Mass from at home and abroad, aproximately 50 priests daily.

THE VISIT OF THE BISHOP OF CALIFORNIA

Recently, the American Bishop, Mons. Pierre Dumaine visited Medjuorje. Here is what he said on that occasion:

"I am the Bishop of the diocese of San Jose which was founded in 1981. It numbers about 1.8 million people of which about 450 thousand are Catholic. There is even a Croatian Parish in my diocese. This is one of the reasons why I came to Croatia. I wished to know more about the culture and roots of this people. I visited the shrine of Our Lady of Sinj and celebrated mass there.

I also wished to visit Bosnia Hercegovina because many Americans don't have a true idea about this area. And I came to Medjugore to find out about the experiences of many of those who have visited this place and after which a vigorous Marian devotion spread throughout my whole diocese This is my first visit to Medjugorje. Here I experienced a deep devotion of the faithful towards Our Lady. Mary's role is to bring the faithful closer to Jesus and to sacramental life. This is clearly visible here. In your people I have felt a deep loyalty to the Catholic Church and to our Holy Father the Pope. This is something which I truly esteem and You must take good care of it."

THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MEETING

The seventh annual International Youth festival was held from the 31st of July until the 6th of August this year. In this really unique encounter of prayer, song and intermixing about six thousand young people from throughout the whole world participated, not counting those from at home. Italians, Americans, French, German, Austrian, Czechoslovakians Slovenians and the Dutch were among the most numerous while smaller groups came from as far away as The Virgin Islands and Lebanon.

The theme of this years festival was "From darkness to light". Besides the normal talks and prayer organised the young people also took part in a Eucharistic Procession throughout the whole Parish of Medjugorje.On the 3rd of August the boys from Sr. Elviras' Community "the Cenacle",(a community for healing from addiction), performed on stage a show entitled "from darkness to light. In it they presented their own roads of searching for the truth and the light. On the 4th of August, there was a festival of Marian songs in which all the groups from all over the world individually participated .The festival ended on the sixth of August with Holy Mass on Krizevac at 5 o'clock in the morning.

The speakers at this years' festival were Sr. Elvira, Don. Cosimo, p.Muller, and Fr. Jozo Zovko. The co-ordinator of the festival was Fr. Slavko Barbaric.

MASS ON KRIZEVAC

In 1933 the then Parish priest of Medjugorje, together with the parishioners erected a cross 5.86 metres high re-enforced in concrete at the top of Mt. Krizevac . They carved the following words into the cross " Jesus Christ, Saviour of humanity, as a sign of our faith hope and love, in the memory of the 1900th anniversary of Jesus' sufferings." Built in to the same cross are relics obtained from Rome for that occasion which Cristians had moulded together in imitation of the one on which Jesus was crucified, the largest part of which is preserved in the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The cross was completed on the 15th of March,1934. Afterwards a custom started up whereby Holy Mass was celebrated on its' podium on the first Sunday after the Nativity of Our Lady in memory of the Exaltation of the Cross.

This year Holy Mass will be celebrated on Krizevac on the 15th of September.

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Last Modified 08/14/96