28
December 20, 1995

PRESS BULLETIN - English




M E D I T A T I O N

We who live in the West or who are washed over with it usually in this season decorate Christmas trees or buy various gifts. We are apparently happy. Everything is full of splendor and abundance. But are we really happy? Let us ask ourselves how many of those who are buying gifts and decorating Christmas trees will attend holy mass these days, decide to change their behavior, make a visit to some poor person. . .not to mention anything further. Unfortunately, their number will not be excessively large.

Life in today's West is just a soap bubble. The interior has been emptied, and only the form has remained. The society in which we are living is not Christian and every day it is endeavoring to become all the more less so. The customs that remained from some past times are just customs and nothing more. Even these one tries just to perform as quickly as possible because one does not have time. Everyone is rushing somewhere and there is no one to say where.

Our Lady, who began to speak in the parish of Medjugorje has been trying to teach us a different way of behavior. She tells us not to hurry, to leave a place for prayer, because then we will know where to go. Those who understand this, Our Lady sends out further as prophets who will change thesociety in which they live. I hope that we are like that!

A Blessed Christmas and New Year to you!


N E W S

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

During the past days the atmosphere of prayer, peace, and community has stamped the Medjugorje shrine due to the multitude of pilgrims groups that visited it for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. There were local pilgrims from all parts of the homeland and from abroad the most numerous were pilgrims from Italy, North America, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium and Argentina. Among them were many benefactors who have been tirelessly helping our people in its difficult times. We heartily thank them.

On the feast itself the Peace Rosary was prayed on Apparition Hill. Due to the many faithful of various languages, the rosary was introduced in nine languages and about 3,000 faithful were present at the evening mass.

During the past feast days Italian Television RAI also visited Medjugorje. The TV team stayed several days wanting to film a report on Medjugorje and the celebration of Our Lady's feast.


BLOOD DONATION

Volunteer blood donation for the needs of the Hospital-Clinic Center of Mostar is frequently organized in the shrine of Medjugorje, but especially on the big feasts because there is a great number of those who would like to help the suffering people in that way. It was also like that on December 9 when about 50 pilgrims donated blood. In this way we would like to thank all of you who with love have donated their own blood. May the new born Jesus give you his blessing and peace.


CELEBRATION OF ST. NICHOLAS FEAST

On December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas, a great number of children assembled in the church of Medjugorje for a community celebration. This year also the arrival of St. Nicholas brought great joy to the hearts of the children. Refugee children were overjoyed in a special way because, due to circumstances of war, they are far away from their homes.


CHRISTMAS NOVENA

As a part of preparation for Christmas, a novena of prayer in the shrine of the Queen of Peace has been arranged to begin on December 16. In addition to the usual evening program in the church, at 2 PM the rosary is prayed every day on Apparition Hill for traffic victims and people involved in traffic.


NEW YEAR

A New Year prayer vigil will be held again this year in the church of Medjugorje. The vigil begins at 10 PM and ends with holy mass at midnight.


CENTERS OF PEACE

GEBETSAKTION MEDJUGORJE - Mary Queen of Peace, (GAM), Werner Huesler, CH, 6166 HABSCHWANDEN - HASLE; tel +41-41-480-3178; fax + 41-41-480-1186.

The association "Prayer Action Medjugorje-Queen of Peace" from Switzerland began to operate October 31, 1985. Its aim is to live and to spread Our Lady's message from Medjugorje in order to bring all the more people closer to God by living Mary's messages.

GAM organizes film presentation evenings on the events of Medjugorje in 130 places throughout Switzerland, an evening prayer program like the program held in Medjugorje every day in 100 churches every Thursday, and a rosary every day in countless prayer groups.

On a humanitarian level the association GAM during the war paid about 4.3 million Swiss Francs for thousands of tons of flour, sugar, oil and meat products, thereby helping the war victims in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina. It paid for prostheses for numerous invalids, provided wood burning stoves, and goats for returnees.

GAM sent mass stipends to the missions valued at over one million Swiss Francs. So far this association has sent out into the world 190,000 pictures of Jesus, 20,000 prayer books, 3,000 booklets, and 3,500 monthly magazines with news from Medjugorje, and the Vienna edition of the same magazine every three months. Among the 12,000 members there also 150 priests, a large number of monasteries and families.


Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice Mira (Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
Information Office: 00387-36-651-988
Parish Office: 00387-36-650-206; 650-310; 651-333
Fax: 00387-36-651-444
Radio: 00387-36-651-100; fax 651-300
E-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Automatic Message: 060-325-325. By calling this number you can hear the latest message of Our Lady in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, as well as also the meditation and the news from Medjugorje which is updated every Wednesday.


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Last Modified 11/25/2002