Medjugorje – A land of Miracles

Medjugorje is a small town located in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when they think of Medjugorje is of all the miracles tied to this place. I, for one, was very curious to visit this place and know what all the fuss was about. The city had quite a serene vibe to it with cobbled streets, archaic buildings, and little shops on every street. As soon as I freshened-up, I was more than excited to go visit the famous Our Lady of Medjugorje statue and Church.

Our Lady of Medjugorje – Legends

Before we get to the topic of my visit to the statue, let me fill you guys up with the stories and anecdotes of the famous Our Lady of Medjugorje. Medjugorje is predominately a Christian area (and there wasn’t much development in this part, allegedly due to religious considerations). It all started about 40 years ago when the country was still recovering from the war. Medjugorje was underdeveloped with a bad economy, with less support to the education of its citizens and with hardly any tourism. The town consisted of a humble little church and little houses with hard-working religious people.

One fine day, six children climbed up a hill and to their surprise, saw an apparition. At first, they were frightened but then they recognized the apparition to be of the Virgin Mother Mary. They were startled as well as ecstatic. They prayed to the apparition and even claimed that the apparition gave them certain messages.

When they went back to the village and told their peers about this, they were branded liars and mentally unstable. They were even checked for mental disorders but their results came back negative! These children kept visiting the same spot for the next consecutive week – they always saw the apparition, prayed to her and received messages of peace and wisdom. These children then told the priest of the town about their experiences and the priest decided to visit the place with them. To the entire town’s surprise, the priest backed up the children – he had seen the apparition too!

The impact of the Legend

This created an enormous buzz not only amongst the people of Medjugorje but also amongst people all around the world. People swarm from different parts of the world to see and be blessed by the Virgin Mary even till date. It’s said that the six children still receive messages from the apparition.

So, as I reached the famous hill, the first thing I noticed was how eager people were to get to the top and the huge crowd the place attracted even in not-so-favourable hot weather. Many believers were climbing the hill barefoot and some were even climbing on their knees! There was no proper path to walk except a few stones that were laid out haphazardly all the way to the top. It was a moderately-difficult climb but at the top, it was very quiet and serene… Many sat down to meditate and be alone with their thoughts… There is a statue of Mother Mary at the spot that the apparition was seen.

Some reactions to the Legend of Medjugorje

Here are some facts that I forgot to mention before I told you the anecdote of our lady of Medjugorje:

1. Medjugorje was well known for growing cannabis in the early 80s, and
2. The people were ready to do anything to help increase the economy of their little town. 

Now, these are just facts but maybe they have nothing to do with the apparition on the hill but some of the folks that I met in Sarajevo hinted at a slight possibility on how they might be interconnected. For instance, the kids being high on cannabis would clearly explain the tale of the apparition. And secondly, the priest would have gone along with the tale as he realized that the town of Medjugorje was in a troubled state and it was essential for a man-made miracle to help it. Such a story would definitely attract tourists. And it certainly did.

Not only did this tale attract masses of tourists but it also caught the eye of the Vatican. The small church was replaced by an enormous church with generous funding from the teeming visitors and tourists. The Vatican became more invested in the ongoings of Medjugorje. The Vatican also authorized pilgrimage to the apparition hill of Medjugorje. Right now, Medjugorje is just a couple of miracles away from being ratified as an official place of miracles. Although many people do not believe the tales of the apparition, many believers say otherwise. I do not completely believe in the tale, but I am open to the story and I leave a space in my mind for its a possibility.

Medjugorje now

According to me, the growth in the economy and the boost in tourism is surely a miracle irrespective of whether the people saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary or not. The sudden rise to fame of Medjugorje is definitely a plus point. Apart from this, the peace and serenity attained by the people who visit the hill are undeniable. Just a visit to the hill gives believers a feeling of closeness to Mother Mary. Is this not what religion ultimately is about? Inner peace and a sense of oneness to God. I guess as long as it brought prosperity to the people of Medjugorje, it is a place of a miracle indeed!

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country made for experiential travel. Read more about the Sarajevo Roses in the capital of this country. In case you are keen to travel to Bosnia, maybe you could do a longer trip in the Balkans including Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia in your itinerary. Check out this itinerary that I followed.

For more ideas on experiential travel, visit Beyonder Travel.