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The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of three Franciscan Orders, will solemnly be celebrated in Medjugorje on Sunday, October 4. The service of ′′Memoria Transitus′′ will be held on Saturday, after the evening Holy Mass. Parish office invites all parishioners for this prayer meeting, especially all those who are members of the great Franciscan family – members of the Secular Franciscan Order, Franciscan School Sisters and the YouFra.

Number of Holy Communions: 222 040 Number of priests that concelebrated at Holy Masses: 4629 (154 per day)

Mr. Rateb Jacob Rabie, the President of the Christian Ecumenical Community came to Medjugorje for a pilgrimage. Our journalists had chance to talk to him on our radio Mir Medjugorje. He is a Christian from Palestine, born in Jordan, as his parents were forced to leave Jerusalem in 1948. This is what he shared about his life: „I studied in the United States, where I live now with my wife an four children. 17 years ago, I decided to leave my job, so I would help Christians in the Holy Land and I founded Christian Ecumenical Community Holy Land, so we would preserve the presence of Palestinian Christians in Holy Land.

This Sunday, September 13, is the day when the parish of Medjugorje celebrates the feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Holy Masses in the parish church of St. James are scheduled at 7 a.m.,8 a.m.12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Solemn Holy Mass on Cross Mountain is at 11 a.m. Holy Masses will not be held in the other churches belonging to the parish.

Bernarda Brunović, from Switzerland, even though she is blind and cannot see the world around her, is very much grateful to God for the gift of life and she lives the fullness of life. Beranrda is a student of theology and is involved in singing. She comes frequently to Medjugorje, especially for the Youth Festival. „The faith was always at the first place in my life. We cannot do anything without God. Young people should not be ashamed to say that they believe in God, as all those who are on His way are on the right way.

Number of Holy Communions: 358 760 Number of priests that concelebrated at Holy Masses: 7965 (256 per day)

This year in Medjugorje the change of the parish programme will be effective from 1st September. Rosary will start at 5 pm in the evening and Holy Mass at 6pm. The following adorations will take place respectively on the day of the week. Tuesdays and Saturdays adorations will start at 9pm and finisz at 10pm. Thursday’s adoration and Friday’s veneration of the cross will take place after the Mass. Rosary on Apparition Hill will be said on Sundays at 2pm and the Ways of the Cross on Kriżevac on Fridays at 2pm.

The 2nd European Congress of OFS and YouFra was completed on Sunday, August 23, with the Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Milienko Steko, the Provincial of Herzegovina Franciscan Province, in the Franciscan church of Sts. Peter and Paul. The theme of the congress was „Be worthy of the calling you received" from St. Paul′s letter to Ephesians, and around hundred participants along with their spiritual assistants were discussing for one week the identity of secular franciscans, life in the family and care for all creation, along with prayers and Holy Eucharist as the source of strength for living the calling of the secular franciscan.

HVIDRA, Association for former Soldiers of Croatia as well as student associations SKAC Palma and MAGIS, as well as many other communities of students and former soldiers from the recent homeland war, organised from June 21, the pilgrimage „Marian vow for Homeland", that will go through all bigger Marian shrines from the east to the south of Croatia. Pilgrims are going to pass through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Medjugorje on their journey to the very south of Croatia. The purpose of this pilgrimage is to continue fighting for peace, justice and genuine freedom of Croatia. If pilgrims wish to join this event, one can do that in various stages, for few days or for one day only, as every step matters in joining prayer to Our Lady for better Croatia. The 9th stage of Marian Vow began on August 16 from Sinj to Međugorje.

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was solemnly celebrated in Medjugorje with huge numbers of pilgrims from our country and from the abroad. Many pilgrims, especially the youth, walked from various directions during the night to come to Medjugorje on this day. The first Holy Mass in Croatian was celebrated at 6 a.m., then there were Holy masses at 7, 8, 9, 11 a.m. as well. The solemn Holy Mass was celebrated at 7 p.m. by Fr. Ivan Sevo, the Vicar of Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, with 80 priests concelebrating with him.