The Story of Medjugorje

On June 24, 1981, in a small town in Bosnia-Hercegovina called Medjugorje, the Blessed Virgin Mary started appearing to six young children. Since the apparitions began, an estimated 40 million people from all over the world have visited Medjugorje. Thousands of healings and deep conversions have been reported. Pilgrims continue to flock to this very day - and all this, despite the lack of a formal, full definitive approval of the apparitions by the Catholic Church.

Even today, more than 31 years after the apparitions began, some of the seers still receive daily messages from Our Lady. Our Lady has mentioned that the apparitions in Medjugorje will be her “last apparition” on earth. Likewise, similar to other apparitions of Our Lady like Fatima, the apparitions in Medjugorje predict future important, world-changing events - a series of ten secrets entrusted to the seers that will be revealed in due time to mankind.

Highlighting its recognition of the vital importance of Medjugorje, on March 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI made the unprecedented move of creating a Vatican-led international commission investigating the apparitions - a group of prominent bishops, cardinals and Church experts headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. Normally, investigations of reported apparitions are left to the judgement of the local Bishop. In the case of Medjugorje, however, perhaps due to its long and complicated history of investigations and positions made by local Church authorities, the Pope has appointed a Vatican cardinal to lead the investigation, under the authority of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.