June 12-21, 1999
Our Group Included: Lisa and Rick Adams, Vickey Pivirotto, Peggy and David MacMannis, Steve Shawl, Fr. V. Paul Fitzmaurice, Larry and MaryEllen Stilwell, Anita DiMatteo, Ron, Nancy, Chrissy, and Rick Grech, Kathy Hoak, Diane Lichok, Pat, Stephanie, ad Katie Shannon, Anabella Prince, Oralia Barker, Yolanda Flores, Debi Byham, Fran Lubinsky, Ray and Janet Falcsik, Carrie Brammell, Ann Leader, Tom and Mary Kashul, Fr. Bill Kiel, Ana Sego.
Pictures From Our Trip.. For anyone in our group who took pictures, please contact us and we will scan them and return them to you...
This pilgrimage to Medjugorje was my 8th trip, and although unexpected and last minute, was one of the most special trips I have made. I would like to share some of the events leading up to this trip. The organizers of the group were a couple by the name of Lisa and Rick Adams. My wife Ana originally met Lisa on an internet home schooling list about 9 months ago. There was an immediate bond and friendship, and they conversed frequently via email. When Lisa found out about our involvement with Medjugorje, she told Ana that they had been planning a trip for June 1999 and asked if we would be group leaders for their trip. Unfortunately we had our own Medjugorje Web trip planned for almost the same time and were unable to go with them. As the months drew near for our trips, the war in Kosovo was taking its toll on pilgrimages to Medjugorje. Many trips were cancelled due to peoples fears of travelling near the war. This eventually led to our own Medjugorje Web trip being cancelled.
As Lisa and Ricks trip drew within a week of departing, Lisa called Ana in tears saying that she had just received a phone call from the travel provider, and were told the trip was cancelled because they were not able to lead the group. They had planned this trip for over a year, and there were 43 people who had purchased connecting flight tickets and had made arrangements with relatives and friends to watch their children. Lisa was devestated, and did not know what she was going to tell the group. Ana immediately volunteered me to go, and called me at work to tell me the situation. I immediately knew that I had to go, and that somehow I was supposed to go on this trip. I agreed to go knowing it would be hard on Ana with my being gone, and having to take care of baby Tihana, Stephen and Katie alone. At the end of the work day I was alone in the store locking up before going home. I was thinking about the trip to Medjugorje and wondering if I should really go. I suddenly felt a feeling of warmth, love, peace, and Divine Presence wash over me. The feeling was very intense and emotional. I felt Our Lady asking me to go to Medjugorje, and I remember saying out loud, "Yes Blessed Mother, I will take them to Medjugorje". I knew then with absolutely no question, that I was going to Medjugorje.
The trip was starting on very shakey ground, and there were lots of problems. Looking back, there were many moments when the trip almost did not happen. For me, it started with a 6 hour trip from Chicago to Newark. In Newark I proceeded to the Air France ticket counter where I was supposed to meet Lisa Adams who had my tickets for the rest of the trip. The trip was so last minute, that I did not even have my tickets! I had only received an informal itinerary of the trip the afternoon before I left and was not very comfortable with not knowing exactly what was going on and when. I am a very logical and organized person who does not do well with loose ends and unanswered questions. I had to remind myself to put everything in God's hands and simply trust. I made my way to the Air France ticket counter, and waited, and waited, and waited. After 2 hours I still did not see anyone from our group. Thinking I might have somehow missed them I checked with one of the ticketing agents who told me that Lisa and Rick had not yet checked in. I did not know what to think since their plane had arrived on time 3 hours earlier. Later I found out that they had been told to go to the gate because there were no seats for them on the plane and they would have to wait until 15 minutes before boarding to see if they had a seat. It was now minutes before boarding and I still did not have my ticket, so I phoned my wife Ana and told her that if I did not see someone within a few minutes, I would be making arrangements to come back home. Just after I hung up I saw someone with a name badge from our group and ran over to see where everyone was. It was at this time that I met Vickey and she told me that everyone was at the gate. I frantically made my way down to the gate and finally met up with the group.
There were many individual hardships that would be experienced on this trip. Satan was really working overtime to make things as difficult as possible. As an example, Lisa Adams is a paramedic and had volunteered to help with the crash of flight #427. She was part of a team that cleaned up the body parts and remains of the disaster. The effect was very much like combat trauma, and all on the team were permanently effected by this tragedy. As a result, Lisa had a tremendous fear of flying. There were only two things that she really wanted and needed, and that was being able to sit with her husband on the flight, and not having a seat in the tail of the aircraft, which is where the greatest number of deaths and dismemberments had come from in flight #427. Not only did Lisa and Rick not know if they had seats on the flight until a few minutes before boarding, but there were no seats together and they ended up with seats in different rows. To make matters worse for Lisa, she was seated at the very back of the aircraft in the tail section. She was terrified.
Upon arriving in Paris, we had a 6 hour lay over until our flight on Croatia Air to Split. Once we arrived in Split, we were met by Ana Sego who would be our guide in Medjugorje. We gathered our luggage and boarded our awaiting bus for the beautiful (and sometimes cliff hanging scary) three hour ride along the Adriatic coast. Ana did an excellent job welcoming our group, and telling us all about the rich history and culture of Croatia. As we drove along the Adriatic coast toward Medjugorje, we all enjoyed the breathtaking scenery. We arrived in Medjugorje after over 31 hours, and everyone was exhuasted. We were happy to see our host family whose home is situated next to the post office in Medjugorje, and is about a 5 minute walk from St. James Church. Our home was very comfortable with excellent accomodations. Everyone looked forward to a nice hot dinner, and a good nights rest. Before dinner, I decided to walk to the Church and say a quick prayer before the statue of Our Lady. I wanted to greet Our Lady and thank her for bringing us all there safely. As I found a spot near the statue, I looked up and saw that the sun about a foot above the statue of Our Lady. It was a perfectly clear blue sky, and I remember thinking it was too bad that I would not be able to look at Our Lady's face because of the sun. I then realized that the sun did not hurt my eyes, and as I removed my sun glasses, I experienced what is called in Medjugorje "The Miracle of the Sun". What I saw was a Eucharistic Host that covered the center of the sun and beautiful magenta, purple, and pink light eminating from the edges of the sun as it pulsed and spun. I stared directly at the sun for over 10 minutes. I remember thanking God for this little grace, and had to smile when I thought how God and Our Lady was welcoming us to Medjugorje. After dinner, many of us took a walk to the church and around the area experiencing the incredible peace one feels while in Medjugorje.
The next days in Medjugorje were busy! We did so many things. Just a few of the highlights include:
We heard talks by Fr. Slavko Barbaric, and the visionaries Vicka, and Ivan. And of course no trip to Medjugorje is complete without taking a trip to see Father Jozo in his parish in Siroki Brijeg, which is located about 45 minutes from Medjugorje. It is always a wonderful and moving experience to attend Fr. Jozo's talk and healing Mass. His words reach the very depths of your heart, and his zeal after 18 years of speaking to pilgrims is as strong as the day it began. It is no wonder that Our Lady has said to the visionaries that Fr. Jozo is a saint. He is truly a holy, and deeply spiritual priest.
Of all the talks we hear in Medjugorje, Vicka is always one of the highlights. She is so simple, humble, joyous, and sincere. The tremendous love that she has in her heart exudes from her smile and in every word she speaks. It amazes me that after 18 years of speaking up to 4 times per day, she has not lost one ounce of enthusiasm. It is plain to see that it is only through God's grace that she is able to maintain this zest and zeal.
We climbed Apparition Hill (Podbrdo), and prayed the Joyful, and Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary which are marked by beautiful bronze plaques created by an Italian artist. During our ascent, we stopped at the large wooden cross which marks the spot of the first message Our Lady gave to Marija. The message was: "Peace, Peace, Peace! Be reconciled! Only Peace. Make your peace with God among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to confession." As the rest of the group made their way up the hill, Fr. Bill, Yolanda, Oralia, and Anabella stayed behind for a moment and during the next few minutes experienced the "Miracle of the Sun". It was obviously a very special moment and emotional experience for them as they came up the hill to meet the rest of the group with tears in their eyes.
No visit to Medjugorje is complete without climbing Cross Mountain (Mt. Krizevac). It is a difficult climb for even an athletic person, and it is amazing that virtually everyone who starts the climb, no matter what their physical condition, makes it to the top. It is a welcome site to see the 33 foot high 15 ton cement Cross when you finally reach the top. As we ascended, we said the Stations of the Cross, which are marked by the same beautiful bronze plaques as on Podbrdo (Apparition Hill). Our Lady has said that she prays at the foot of the Cross on Mt. Krizevac every morning at 5:00am. About 14 of us from our group started off at 3:00am one morning in the darkness of night to arrive at the foot of the Cross at 5:00am so we could join Our Lady in prayer. It was a powerful experience that made a deep and profound impression on all of us, and one which we will always treasure.
The English Mass is said every day at 10:00am, and the Croatian program starts at 6:00pm. The 6:00pm program begins with the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary until 6:40. At 6:40pm there is 2-3 minutes of silence in recognition of the exact moment of Our Lady's appearance to the visionaries each day. The rosary then resumes and at 7:00pm, there is Croatian Mass, followed by the Medjugorje Rosary which consists of the 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Mary's and 7 Glory Be's. Finally the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are prayed, sometimes continuing on with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. One might think that all this praying would be "too much". Quite the contrary is true. While you are in Medjugorje, life is very different.
Another special gift which occurred for some in our group was the miracle of their rosaries turning gold. This is a frequent yet special gift from Our Lady. I have heard of scientific tests being performed on these rosaries, and the results are facinating. The tests found that the gold is not real gold, but rather an alloy that is unknown. It is like a special hug from Our Lady when your rosary turns gold. Here is a scan of my rosary which turned from silver to gold in 1995 in a matter of hours.
I want to take a quick second to express my thanks and gratitude to Fr. Paul and Fr. Bill for the wonderful companionship and spiritual direction that they provided on our trip. It was a special gift to hear their stories of how they became priests and how they ended up coming to Medjugorje. I know both of them will carry the special memories of our trip to Medjugorje in their hearts. Thank you Fathers!
As the time for our departure neared, everyone had a sense of sadness, as we realized the blessed days we spent together were coming to an end. It is always difficult to leave Medjugorje for so many reasons. When in Medjugorje, you are able to leave the world and all of its ugliness behind, and draw so close to God. Medjugorje is truly holy ground, and the presence of God and Our Lady is so strong there. It is something that you don't want to give up. But we all knew that we were called to return to our lives and live Our Lady's messages, and share the graces and experiences we had received. There is a special and unique bond that forms through experiencing the graces of Medjugorje together. It seems as though we have all known each other for many years, and I hope and pray we stay in contact with one another.
I want to share with you a couple of special stories that occurred on our trip. There were so many, and I had a difficult time choosing these two, but I believe they are good examples of the grace present in Medjugorje.
My first story is about a woman named Vickey. This is the same Vickey that I met in the airport as I was desperately trying to find the group. Little did we both know the grace and peace she would find in Medjugorje.
After her experience, Vickey explained to us that she was an ER nurse, and had been struggling in her job. The people that she was trying to help lost their individuality. She was having a real problem being compasionate and feeling love and concern for these people. She decided that if she worked more hours, she would not have time to think of these issues that bothered her so much. So she worked double shifts frequently and volunteered whenever possible for extra hours. She lacked peace in her life and in her heart, and a particular incident in the ER still haunted her. A man came into the ER and it was obvious to Vickey that he would not live. The man asked Vickey for a priest. She passed this request on to those in charge and they decided to ignore it and continue to work on the man. She asked again, and once again was ignored. The man died. Vickey blamed herself for not being more forceful, for not pushing the issue. She felt terrible that this man was deprived of a priest when he needed him most. She felt herself grow farther from her relationship with God, her job, and her prayer life. She longed for peace in her life and her heart.
When she was originally asked if she would like to go to Medjugorje, without even thinking she said yes. She knew nothing about Medjugorje and was perplexed why she had said yes without more thought. There was something inside her that told her she needed to go to Medjugorje. She decided to do a little research about Medjugorje, and went to a local bookstore. They did not have any books about Medjugorje in stock but agreed to order 3 books for her. Two weeks later, she received a call from the store telling her that 2 of the books were in. Vickey began to question going to Medjugorje, and was having doubts. She felt drawn to Medjugorje but did not understand why. She went to the store and was greeted at the counter by a woman named Julia. Julia gave her the books, and told her all about Medjugorje. She told her about the graces and wonders that were there. Julia rang up the books, gave her the receipt, and Vickey left. Vickey felt the apprehension about going to Medjugorje immediately fade, and once again she looked forward to going. One week later the store called again to tell Vickey her last book had arrived. When Vickey went to the store she asked for Julia again. She was told that no Julia worked there. Vickey persisted and explained that she had spoken to Julia last week when she picked up her books. The manager told her that no one named Julia worked there, and on the evening she picked up her books a man had been working. In this store, the name of the employee on duty is printed on every sales receipt. Vickey looked frantically for her sales receipt and when she inspected it, the place where the name of the employee appeared was blank.
When we arrived in Medjugorje we went to our rooms to unpack. Lisa and I made the rounds to each of the rooms to make sure that everything was ok. When we came to Vickey's room we found her crying. She was quite upset, and we asked her what was wrong. She said she did not understand why she was in Medjugorje. She kept asking "why am I here?". Vickey did not know anyone in the group, and was travelling alone. To make matters worse, her luggage was lost. She felt alone, and all she wanted to do was go home. I knew in my heart that Our Lady had something special planned for Vickey. I did not know what or when, but I tried to comfort her, and told her that no one comes to Medjugorje by accident. Everyone is invited by Our Lady for a reason. We just had to wait to see what God had planned for her. The next couple of days were difficult for Vickey. She cried a lot, and the feelings she had persisted.
We attended daily English Mass each day at 10:00am. On our second day in Medjugorje we were at Mass and immediately after Communion Vickey was kneeling, and praying and she heard a voice say "Come to me". She looked up and around her to see who had said this, and if anyone else had heard it. She was unsure of what she had heard but the feeling persisted. She came out of Mass and was crying. She told us what had happened, and she said "all I know is I have to go". Unexplainably I knew she needed to go to Podbrdo where Our Lady first appeared. Vickey did not know where it was, but was ready to just start walking. I felt the urgency she was experiencing and immediately hailed a taxi to take us to the bottom of Podbrdo. As we started up the hill, Vickey was ascending the mountain at a pace I have never seen. I am a physically fit person, and I simply could not keep up with her. She later explained that she did not remember climbing the hill, and remembers being pulled up. When we finally reached the spot where Our Lady first appeared, I was completely exhausted and out of breath. I could not even talk I was breathing so hard, and yet Vickey was breathing normally. She then explained that as she approached the Cross that marks the spot where Our Lady first appeared, she was pulled to her knees. She heard a voice say "Pray". As Vickey prayed she felt an incredible wave of love and peace wash over her. At that moment she felt complete peace. She was so happy she was literally beaming with joy. She explained that nothing else mattered. The heat didn't matter, her luggage didn't matter, nothing mattered except the incredible love and peace she felt in her heart. She asked "How can anything matter once you know and feel how much God loves us?". This love and peace stayed with Vickey for the entire trip and is still with her. As a result her life has changed dramatically. She also explained to us that she had experienced chronic heartburn her entire adult life, and a day never passed without this discomfort. She said that from the moment on the mountain with Our Lady, the heartburn disappeared, and has not returned. All of us in the group were deeply touched by Vickey's experience, and feel privilaged to have shared in it.
The second story I would like to share with everyone is the story of Debi. Her story should be finished in the next couple of weeks, and will be posted here!
There are so many stories to tell. Everyone was touched in a special way. That is one of the graces of Medjugorje. Your heart and your life are changed forever. It is amazing to see 35 people from all areas and walks of life come together, and leave with a very special and unique bond of friendship, and love. Their spiritual lives renewed, refreshed, re kindled. The fire of the Holy Spirit burning brightly inside them. Our Lady invites each person who goes to Medjugorje individually, and for a reason. Going to Medjugorje is a special calling, and a special gift.
Thanks to all the wonderful people who were part of this trip to Medjugorje. I will never forget any of you, and I feel privileged to have spent such a special time together.
Steve Shawl