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EDITOR: JUNE KLINSPHONE: (814) 898-2143E-MAIL: jklins1981@verizon.net

EDITOR EMERITUS: JOAN WIESZCZYKSPIRITUAL ADVISOR

FR. RAY DONOHUE

VOL. 33, NO. 8 PUBLISHED MONTHLY AUGUST 2020

MONTHLY MESSAGE OF JULY 25, 2020ON THE 25TH DAY OF EACH MONTH, THE BLESSED VIRGIN GIVES A MESSAGE TO THE VISIONARY,

MARIJA, THAT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE WORLD.

In August we have three beautiful celebrations of Our Lady. Our Lady told the visionaries that August 5 was Her “real birthday” (even though we celebrate again with the official Church feast day on September 8). We also celebrate Our Lady’s Assumption on August 15 and Her Coronation on August 22. The picture shown above was taken in St. Francis Xavier Church in Metairie, Louisiana. This statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje was a gift from visionary Ivan, whom this church has hosted on a number of occasions. You can read on page 6 about Ivan’s visit there on February 1, 2020.

“Dear children! In this peaceless time in which the devil is harvesting souls to draw them to himself, I am calling you to persevering prayer, so that in prayer you discover the God of love and hope. Little children, take the Cross in your hands. May it be your encouragement for love to always win, in a special way now when the Cross and faith are rejected. You be a reflection and an example with your lives that faith and hope are still alive and a new world of peace is possible. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son, Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

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The Way to True Peace and the Joy in Getting ThereBy Fr. Ray Donohue

I cannot believe it is already August! This is like the year that never happened, and if it did, it was, in many ways, nightmarish! But better days are coming, and in some cases, it is better now than even 2 months ago. We look to the Lord and He gives us strength! We walk by Faith and not by sight! We walk in the Light of the Lord Jesus! We Trust in Jesus!

Recently, after a morning Mass in town, a lady asked me: “Father, you really love Mary, the Mother of Jesus, don’t you?” I replied: “Yes, indeed, I have great devotion to Her, and I love Her very much, with all my heart and the soles of my feet!” (My mother would say that to me when I was a child.) J She then said to me, “But aren’t you only supposed to worship God and God alone?”

I was quite taken aback from this statement, and I saw a great deal of misunderstanding in her question, so I asked her a question. “Let me ask you, do you love your husband?” “Why…yes, I do, very much so,” she replied. So I continued, “Well, do you worship him?” “Worship him? Why, no, I don’t worship him,” was her answer.

I changed the line of my question to her: “Well then, tell me, have you ever asked him to do anything for you, a favor or for some help in any way?” “Why, yes of course I have. I do that all the time!” Then, I continued, “Do you ever just think about him, reflect on him and your relationship, on your love, how you met and how that love grew and blossomed?” She replied, kind of confused and with a bit of frustration, “I fail to see what my relationship with my husband has to do with anything!” “Ah!” I said. “It has a great deal to do with everything!”

You see, worshipping anything or anyone other than God is wrong and sinful. Some people worship money, and make that their god. Some, their material wealth and possessions, their position in life, their goal in life – these become their “gods” and this is so wrong

and evil. These things are material things that pass, objects we make idols over time. That is why this is evil.

We may be devoted to another, like a spouse or a vocation, be devoted to our families and to other good things, but we do not worship them. That is indeed reserved for God alone. But we have devotion, respect, love, charity, and joy in others, or in other things. This is good, and it brings about goodness and happiness, which shows on our faces and in our hearts, and especially in our actions!

I have great devotion to our dear Blessed Mother. Our Lady’s “YES” changed the world and the hereafter! That one “YES” of Mary opened Heaven for us through Her Son, Jesus. We ask our Mother for many things: for help in problems, for safety for children and family, to intercede

for us and our intentions in Holy Prayer to Her Divine Son, Jesus. We look to our Mother for peace, guidance, help, for patience, and for so many things.

Last month, Vicka, the visionary, had serious back surgery. We all know that Vicka has been infirmed in many ways for many years. I have prayed with her, and her with me, one-on-one many times. When I see her and she is talking to other pilgrims, she always asks me to lead the Holy Rosary in English for the pilgrims; and when she prays over me or others, Vicka takes her time, holds her hands so tight and powerfully on your head, and she prays, and prays, and prays. A person knows that they have been prayed for when they have been prayed for and over by Vicka! She is humble, holy, compassionate, and kind and

loving. Vicka has never complained about her pain, the true agony she experiences every single day and night. When you see Vicka, she is always smiling and joyful and loving! Why? How can this be? Why? I will tell you. Because she knows God. Because she is a pray-er, and pray-ers PRAY. They are devoted to prayer, and through prayer, they get to know God. Through pain and suffering, they get to know God. They share in HIS suffering! In doing so, they share in His LIFE!

Jesus knew prayer. He was always in Communion with His Father though Holy Prayer. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus poured out His Heart to God in Holy Prayer – true Devotion to His Father and His God! He prayed for strength in His humanness, and for others. What He was about to do, in His passion – what Jesus did all His life on earth – was for others. Never about Himself; always for others. Jesus was a pray-er!

Vicka can endure the pain and agony because she knows Jesus’ pain and agony, through love and through Holy Prayer. Vicka offers up that pain for you and for me and all the pilgrims and all in need. She offers up her pain for all people in pain, pain of all sorts: physical, emotional, and every other kind of pain. She does that because she loves. And Vicka loves because she knows Our Lady and she knows Jesus.

My rheumatoid arthritis is nothing. I offer up any pain and suffering for all in need, and all those who have asked me to pray for them. My pain is nothing. I ask the Blessed Mother to pray to Jesus to use any pain, as little as it is, the things I can’t do anymore that I enjoyed in the past, for those who are ill or suffering in any way, and in need of any kind of healing. I surround them in Holy Prayer, as Vicka does, only she does it so much more than I could ever do or even imagine. I learn from those who pray. I see the fruits of the labors of those who pray.

Our Lady once said to us through the visionary Marija: “Dear Children, Today I am calling you to pray even more, until

Vicka

“For the worship of

infamous idols is the reason and source and extremity of all evil”

(Wisdom 14:27).

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you feel the holiness of forgiveness in your heart. There must be holiness in the families, little children, because there is no future for the world without love and holiness—because in holiness and joy, you give yourselves to God the Creator Who loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He sends me to you.” (1/25/2020)

Our Mother comes to us, because She is devoted to us as our Mother! I want you to stop, and think of that! Pray that sentence. Put it in your heart!

Our Holy God sends our Blessed Mother to us and allows Her to tell us what we need to do for peace in our world and hearts! Please, I want you to stop, and think about that! Put that into your heart!

The various evil movements that are in America and also throughout the world, causing hate, racial unrest, arsons, murders, divisions, family breakdowns – these are all from the devil, all evil; and yet, you and I, through what our Mother is asking us, can overcome it with good and holiness and happiness, offering up our prayers, works, joys and sufferings! “I call you to PRAY EVEN MORE,” our Mother is begging Her children. She knows what to do and shows us the way to Her son, Jesus, and the way to peace in Him!

Why is there so much hate and violence? So much unrest and murders and evil? Because we do NOT pray as we should. Many would rather watch “nothing” on the TV instead of taking out our Holy Rosary and praying. Many can go back to Church, but I know personally that many are staying home and maybe listening to it on the radio or TV, even though they can go back to Holy Mass and receive Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, yet they choose not to because

they have a “blanketed dispensation”. We are NOT doing ALL we can do. We are letting evil win and not doing enough, and in some cases, we are doing nothing at all! “PRAY PRAY PRAY” were and ARE the words of our Blessed Mother from the beginning of Her apparitions in Medjugorje and right up to this day! Our Mother is not coming for Herself. She is here for you and for me and the world. She is giving us a lifeline, and that lifeline is Prayer from the Heart!

Our Blessed Mother is showing us the way. If you are ill, if you are confined in any way, if you cannot get to Holy Mass because of illness or no way to get there, you can offer up that cross as a gift to Our Lady and Our Lord God! THAT will destroy evil! Forgiving someone who has greatly sinned against you and giving that all to God – that will destroy evil. Evil feeds on evil. It cannot digest Goodness! The sacrifices we make for our Mother’s request and intentions will make all the difference in the world, and in our souls. Channel your Holy Prayers through our Blessed Mother to Jesus.

I pray for all of you, and I fast for all of you. I ask Our Lady to protect you and keep you close to Her and Her Divine Son. Pray from your heart. Get to Confession and purify your body and soul. Offer all this for reparation of all sinners, and try each day to be better than the day before. If you fall, get up and try again and again. Don’t let the devil deceive you and discourage you. Walk in Light, Holiness and Joy! A person who prays is a person of Joy! Let others see your prayers on your face! When you pray from your heart, your face shines with Joy! God bless you; feel His love!

In Jesus and Mary, ~Father Ray

Touched and Blessed by the LordThe following was written by Canon Dominic Golding VG for

his parish newsletter (dated May 29, 2016) on return from his second pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Canon Dominic is Dean of St. John’s Cathedral in Portsmouth, UK. We thank Judy Pellatt for getting permission for us to print it.

One evening last week I celebrated the Sacrament of Penance for three hours and 20 minutes. I might add this was not one person’s confession but the confessions of many. I heard them in Medjugorje, the town in Bosnia-Herzegovina where it is claimed the Virgin Mary has been appearing since 1981. She has certainly inspired countless Catholics to go on pilgrimage there, and [with] all the devotional practices the pilgrim undertakes, one’s faith is certainly enriched. The town is sometimes called the ‘confessional of the world’ and it was easy to see why. People queued in large [numbers] to celebrate a sacrament which we in the UK often choose to

stay away from.I was again and again touched by the honesty of those

confessing their sins. They knew they were confessing them not to me, but to the Lord. Some of those who came had been away from this sacrament for a very long time; one person told me they had sat watching the queues for five days before plucking up the courage to come. All of those whose confessions I heard went away, I hope, knowing themselves to have received the gift of God’s pardon and peace. Most went away having readily accepted from me the same penance: identify two people who have helped you to get to know God well and lift them up to the Lord in prayer. Why? Because as I told them all, what those two people have been for you – a teacher of faith – you must now be for others.

Prayer for the Intercession of St. Rose of LimaOn August 23, we celebrate the feast day St. Rose of Lima, who is the patron saint of

The Spirit of Medjugorje this year. We thank St. Rose for her help so far with this year’s newsletters. Since Our Lady has asked us to “seek the intercession of all the saints” (10/25/10), we present here a prayer found on the back of a prayer card of St. Rose.

Admirable St. Rose, you were truly a sweet flower blooming on the rugged soil; you were indeed a rose among the thorns, bearing with meekness and patience the stings of envious tongues, and preserving perfect purity and modesty amid the alluring blandishments of a deceitful world.

By the merits which you have thus gained with our divine Lord, obtain for me the grace to bear my afflictions with patience, to remain pure and modest, to be meek and humble, and to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, so that I may be ever more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of my dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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In our March 2020 issue, we featured the powerful testimony of Jim Browne, an abuse victim who turned to alcoholism and then had a conversion in Medjugorje. Jim began leading pilgrimages to Medjugorje with a priest named Fr. Benny in 2004 and has witnessed many miraculous conversions. He shared just a few of them in his testimony in Episode #29 of the Fruit of Medjugorje program on marytv.tv.

Jim recalled meeting a woman named Liz at an AA meeting one time. Liz had been separated from her 13 year-old daughter because at the time she had not been able to be a good mother to her. She was crying because the girl’s father would not allow Liz to see her at all. Jim suggested that Liz go to Medjugorje, but she protested, saying, “But that’s a holy place. I’m not Catholic. I’m not a Protestant…” She fell into Jim’s arms saying, “Jim Browne, I’m nothing.” Jim knew her feelings because he had felt exactly the same way before his conversion. He replied, “If anyone can change that feeling, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Come to Medjugorje.” So Liz went to Medjugorje with Jim, and on the third day, she got a text from her daughter’s father saying that this girl needed a mother! Liz cried tears of joy the whole week. After the pilgrimage, the mother and daughter were re-united. At the Easter Vigil a year later, at the age of 51, Liz made her First Holy Communion!

Jim testified that many alcoholics he has taken to Medjugorje have become sober, one of them being a man named Paddy. After his healing, Paddy wanted to bring his wife and five children to Medjugorje. Jim told him he would take them all except for Paddy’s 18 year-old son, Keith. When Paddy questioned why not Keith, Jim replied, “Because he’s always in trouble. He takes drugs, he sells drugs. He is violent.” Jim said that Paddy would get calls from the police about Keith almost every day. “What will I do with a guy like this in Medjugorje?” Paddy started to cry. “What will I do with him if you don’t give him the same chance that you got and that I got? Please give him a chance.” Jim agreed.

The morning they were leaving for Medjugorje, Jim had to go into the airport bar three times to drag Keith out – and that was before 10:00 a.m.! But Jim noticed that when they got to Medjugorje, Keith did attend the talk on Confession that Fr. Benny always gave early in the pilgrimage. The next day, Jim noticed Keith in line for Confession and then climbing the hills!

When they got home, a lady approached Jim after Mass and said, “Jim Browne, you know I don’t believe in Medjugorje. I spoke against it and I even spoke against you.” Jim answered, “I know.” She continued, “Today I believe.” Jim questioned her change of heart and she replied, “Keith Kelly was in there at Mass. He was in Medjugorje with you. There must be something. My children crossed the street when this guy used to come down.”

One day Jim got a call from Keith’s mother. She said she

“You Order the Planes…and Leave the Rest to Me” By June Klins

was concerned about him because he was not eating on Wednesdays and Fridays [days Our Lady asks us to fast] and he had heavy lifting to do at his job. Jim suggested, “Give him steak on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Build him up.”

Soon after, Keith wanted to meet with Jim. He asked the cost of the next pilgrimage. He said, “I know Jesus and Mary want to tell me something.” He gave Jim extra money for the

trip with the condition, “You have to bring some lunatic, some guy like me. You have to bring a drug addict, some guy who does not believe. You have a tough job.”

So, Jim brought a guy named Con. After going to the Blue Cross, Con told Jim he was probably going to die because he couldn’t stop the drugs. But he continued, “At least when I die, I’ll know that I’m loved by Jesus and Mary.”

A year later, at the age of 19, Keith asked Jim to show him how to bring groups to Medjugorje. The following year, he wanted to learn how to bring bigger groups. A year after that, Keith’s family invited Jim to dinner.

When he arrived, he noticed they were having a celebration and asked what the occasion was. They replied, “It’s Keith. He’s joining the priesthood!” Jim said it was not surprising that Keith was joining the Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Jim lamented, “This is the guy I could have left behind. This is the guy I was prepared to leave in Ireland. This is the guy that I was prepared to [allow to] live out his drug addiction. And I heard very strongly in my own heart a little chastisement from Jesus and Mary. They said, ‘The Trinity is all full. There is no room for a fourth person.’ Our Lady said very strongly in my heart, ‘Please don’t make the judgments. You just fill out the forms, get them over here to me. It is my job to bring them to Jesus. It is my job to bring them to conversion. You order the planes, you order the food, you order the houses, and leave the rest to me.’ So this has been the greatest lesson that I have ever learned in Medjugorje.”

Jim said that he has seen “thousands of miracles” including one he had seen the very day of his testimony. A man who was not able to do a full day’s work because of physical disabilities was able to climb Mt. Krizevac. “The miracles that I see on every trip give me the encouragement and the graces to put the next trip together.”

Editor’s note: At the end of Jim’s testimony, he spoke about the crucifixes that he gets blessed by Baby Jesus and by Our Lady during the apparition to Vicka on Christmas Day. You can read about this in our March 2020 issue. To send for a crucifix (ONE only per order), include your name and address, typed or printed legibly, and a minimum of a $5.00 donation for postage to Barbara Kleaveland, 822 Moulton Ave., North Muskegon, MI 49445. Any donation beyond the postage helps to purchase crucifixes for next year. If you have had a miracle or blessing with one of these crucifixes, please let us know. We will publish these stories in a future issue.

Jim Browne planning a program with a Medjugorje guide

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“If your brother sins [against

you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your

brother” (Mt 18:15).

The following is Cathy Nolan’s reflection from February 10, 2020. You can sign up to receive Cathy’s reflections at www.marytv.tv.

Our Lady has asked us many times to live Her messages. She gives them to us to help us through these very important and difficult times. But She even gets a little disappointed in us, because we are so easily distracted from Her messages. Like all children, we lose our concentration, and resolve. And so, She continues to call us to live Her messages.

On Friday, February 7, Fr. Leon gave a homily about living the messages that was very helpful. Our shipmate, Stephanie, transcribed it for us!! Fr. Leon has a way of saying things that makes it all quite clear! Here is the Homily by Fr. Leon during English Mass – Friday, February 7, 2020:

The family of Herod is very complicated. King Herod the Great, so called “the Great,” – the one who tried to kill Jesus when He was an infant – had a number of sons. One of them is Herod Antipas – the one you hear of in the gospel today. Now, Herod, let me see, first of all, his niece, Herodias, had been married to one of his brothers called Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter called Salome. Later she divorced her uncle, and married another uncle, Philip (also called Philip). This is very confusing. And then she divorces Philip and marries Herod Antipas. And then John the Baptist comes on the scene and says to him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Now, telling the truth to people is a difficult thing, and yet we are duty-bound to this. It is one of the Acts of Mercy, to instruct the ignorant – to tell them, for the sake of their souls. But we have to do this with charity. John the Baptist, notice, doesn’t come to Herod and say, “Oh, let me accompany

you in your journey of adultery, and, you know, slowly, hopefully

before you die, it will all work out and you’ll repent.” No, he says to him, “It is not lawful,” because John the Baptist loves Herod. He cares for his soul.

He cares too much to lie to him. On the other hand, we have

Herod. Herod is a very confusing character, because he seems to believe

certain things about the faith. He believes in the resurrection. When he hears about Jesus, he says, “This is John, whom I beheaded, and he has risen from the dead.” So, he actually believes in resurrection, which is a curious thing. But at the same time, it says he kept him in prison, and he was very much perplexed by John, and yet he liked to listen to him.

Whenever I hear these words, especially, I think about

Medjugorje. How many of us have been coming for years and years to Medjugorje? How many people have come here and heard the messages? But, how few of us put them into practice?

Now, I’m not here, I don’t delight in, pointing fingers and saying, “Oh, you have failed to live the message of Medjugorje.” I remember even before speaking about The Five Stones, I thought, before I even speak about them, I must live them. No one is going to listen to a fat priest talk about fasting. Okay, and that’s paraphrasing. St. John Chrysostom actually

says that… if you’re fat and greedy, who’s ever going to listen to you when you talk about fasting?

We must live the messages. Our Lady doesn’t come here and just give messages just to titillate us, to delight us. And we think, “Oh isn’t it marvelous She’s here!” And then we go off and forget about Her messages. If we don’t live them, we are like Herod. Herod loved listening to John but didn’t want to act on anything he said. And it didn’t do him any good; it didn’t do him any favors! Herod ended up in a worse place because to his adultery, he adds murder. And then lust – he lusts after his own great niece, Salome. Then, he adds to that – he adds cowardice, because he is afraid of looking bad in front of his friends.

None of this does us any good, if we don’t live Our Lady’s messages. Every day in the news you can see how – I’m not going to comment on any one thing – but lots and lots of things are taking place in the world that show us things are moving in a certain direction. And if we are not constant in the faith, if we don’t actually live our faith, what good does it do us?

What good does it do us if we say that we are here in Medjugorje and then we fight with each other, provoke quarrels, maybe deliberately misunderstand each other – or not deliberately misunderstand each other – but still, revel in fighting and quarreling and anger? What good does this do any of us? We are then like Herod – not living God’s will, but our own, our own will, our own stubbornness. And this certainly does not make for peace. This is not being a child of the Queen of Peace.

(You can listen to the homily here: https://marytv.tv/english-mass-in-medjugorje/ – remember it is 020720)

Let’s pray for one another that we can all grow in living Our Lady’s messages!

www.marytv.tv

Living the Messages

Fr. Leon

“In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love.” (Jesus to St. Faustina. Diary, #1447).

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Visionary Ivan in New OrleansBy Kay Mule

It has been several years since Ivan has had a public appearance in New Orleans. On February 1, 2020, he attended the 4:00 pm vigil Mass with over 1,000 people at St. Francis Xavier Church in Metairie, Louisiana. We left early, but heavy traffic made us arrive just in time for the Rosary. The church was packed, but the usher led us to vacant front row seats for a beautiful Mass presided over by Fr. Joe Palermo. Ivan spoke in English before and after Mass. It was the first time we heard him speak without an interpreter. The following are some of the thoughts he shared.

“This is like Christmas Mass,” Ivan said as he began his talk. “Every Mass should be like this. For the last 38 years Our Lady has come to lead us to Her Son, Jesus, because only in Jesus can we find peace, life and love.” He shared how hard it is for him to see Our Lady every day, listen to Her and then live life back on earth. She is more beautiful than any statue that he has ever seen. He says She is the mother who is coming to teach us. “I am coming because my Son sends me.” And She says. “Peace, peace, peace.” Our Church needs peace, society needs peace. She speaks simply and repeats many times like we do to our children.

Many pilgrims ask Ivan why Our Lady is coming so long. He said that Our Lady has a plan and especially invites all of us, saying, “I need you; decide for good, fight against evil.” She is very concerned for peace in the world and for peace in families, calling us to return to prayer in the family. The breakup of families and acceptance of abortion makes Her sad. The family is a small church, and She says that for our children to be strong we need to pray every day and read the Bible. He says that She is coming for 38 years because the family and the world are in crisis. She needs us to find time for our family because if you love them, you find time to be with them. No time means no love. He also shared Mary’s revelation that the Mass is the greatest prayer of all; and if it

should ever come down to a choice between Her apparition and Holy Mass, we should choose Mass. She recommended daily Mass to all who are able to attend.

“Our Lady is calling for forgiveness – forgive yourself, forgive others. If you can’t forgive, how can you heal

spiritually and physically? Only through prayer can you give forgiveness. Pray with love and pray with the heart, then you will have more peace.”

He said that “Every day when She comes, I see the Mother’s love. Our Lady radiates love.” He is impressed at how beautiful She is and asked Her, “Why are you so beautiful?” She replied, “I am beautiful because I love.” Her message is one of peace and conversion, turning back to God, more family prayer. With Lent coming, he suggests more sacrifice, penance, and fasting. Then we will have more love in our hearts. Ivan said, “I invite you to be a good ‘mother’ to your family, to your community. Use

this time, for it is a time of grace.”At 6:40 Our Lady appeared to Ivan. After the apparition,

he said that “It is not easy to talk” when She leaves. “Words do not exist to describe Her heavenly appearance.” When She comes, he does not feel space or time. She says, “Praise be Jesus!” He said She was very happy to see so many for Mass and the Rosary. He offered intentions for all present and all the sick. Our Lady blessed everyone and prayed for all our intentions. She urged everyone to pray for religious vocations and for “peace, peace, peace.” And She intercedes to Jesus for all of us. Then She spoke privately with Ivan. When She left, She said, “Go in peace, my little children.” Then Ivan invited Fr. Palermo to give us his priestly blessing.

The Medjugorje Star, Vol. 34, No. 1

Medjugorje Moments on the Fourth of July!By June Klins

At our mailing on July 3rd, one of our mailing helpers requested that I sign up a friend of hers to receive The Spirit of Medjugorje. The next night, as I was entering his name into the records, I was munching on some Chex Mix at the same time. All of a sudden, the shape of a perfect little cross seemed to jump out of the Chex Mix and onto my finger. I quickly took a picture to show my friend who had signed the man up. What is interesting is that this man who would be receiving the newsletter carries a very, very heavy cross and that is why she signed him up. She said he needs something like this in his life. I love it when things like this happen! Such a confirmation! This was actually the second “Medjugorje Moment” I had that day, which just happened to be the Fourth of July.

After Mass that morning, a lady approached me wanting to know if I had any good recipes for fasting bread, because her daughter and family wanted to begin fasting on bread and

water. I told her that we just happened to have a recipe in our July 2020 issue that we just mailed the previous day, and I had a few copies in my car. She followed me to the car and told me that she had “Holy Spirit” bumps as I handed it to her. We had not used a fasting bread recipe in this newsletter in years. So what are the odds that someone would ask me for a recipe the day after we mailed those newsletters? She had not seen a copy, as there was no mail that day, nor was it posted online yet either. Another “Medjugorje Moment” and a confirmation about this fasting bread recipe.

I love to watch fireworks displays and there were many this year for the Fourth of July, but they only last for seconds. What I love even more are the “fireworks” I experience when I see Our Lady and the Hand of God at work!

Ivan in New Orleans

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Prayer Intention of Pope Francis for August The Maritime World: We pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families.

News from Medjugorje

Medjugorje RomanceBy Sr. Dolores Ryan

Medjugorje is a place of surprises, new friendships, deep prayer, contemplation and trust.

My niece Becky and I traveled from New York to Medjugorje. We hoped to deepen our faith by being on the holy ground where Our Blessed Mother was appearing.

Becky’s intention for this pilgrimage was to discern her vocation in life. Was she being called to religious life or to the married state? This was the first trip we made to this area. It was on this trip that Becky met Matthew. They enjoyed each other’s company until the time came for them to go to their respective countries, Becky to the U.S. and Mathew to New Zealand. In order to keep in touch, the letters began. However, the last letter was a good-by letter. Matthew had met someone in New Zealand. He would not be writing again.

Becky was heartbroken. So, she asked me to accompany her back to Medjugorje. She was hoping to meet Matthew again. So, the two of us found ourselves setting out for Yaklan Island to care for the children orphaned by the Bosnian war. Fr. Jozo had adopted this caring concern for his ministry.

One evening we were at dinner with Nancy [Fr. Jozo’s English translator at the time]. Nancy knew Matthew as he had done some architectural work for her. Nancy asked

Becky if she was the American woman who was writing to Matthew. When Becky said, “Yes”, Nancy decided to call Matthew in New Zealand to let him know that he would be foolish to miss out on Becky. Nancy had been with us for a week at our evening meal. She had been very impressed with

Becky. So, she phoned Matthew to let him know that Becky was a very special person. That very day Matthew called Becky from New Zealand. He had ended their friendship because he felt that no American woman would ever care for him. So, the letters began again, and they discovered that they really cared for each other. They continued their friendship which blossomed into a beautiful courtship and finally marriage.

I believe that Our Blessed Mother graced Becky with the answer to her discernment. Becky felt her call to the married state in a very grace-filled way. Becky, Matthew and their children are happily living together in Texas. Their devotion to Our Blessed Mother

is enhanced by their praying the family Rosary. Their trust in our Mother Mary grows daily as they realize that Medjugorje was a grace-filled place for meeting one another.

Editor’s note: Sr. Dolores lives in Buffalo, NY.

• On July 8, Fr. Marinko Šakota, OFM, parish priest in Medjugorje, confirmed that the Youth Festival in Medjugorje would be held from August 1- 6, 2020, the theme being “Come, and you will see” (Jn 1:39). This event would be live-streamed. According to Fr. Marinko, “Depending on the development of virus, all gatherings would be according to the instructions of the institutions in charge.” Fr. Marinko stated, “Let us continue to be united in the same spirit in the school of Our Lady and let us rejoice that we would be connected together in Medjugorje, both in our hearts and in our spirit.”

• On July 11, the Vatican announced the appointment of a new bishop for Mostar, which includes the parish in Medjugorje. The Bishop of Hvar, Petar Palić, is the successor of the Bishop of Mostar and Duvanj, Ratko Perić. He was born in Pristina on July 3, 1972, to a Janjevac Croat family. At the age of 48, he is a young bishop, and he is expected to be a bishop in Mostar for a long time.

• Pope Francis added 3 new titles of Our Lady to the Litany of Loreto. This Litany is sung every night in Medjugorje. Mother of Mercy will follow Mother of the Church.Mother of Hope will follow Mother of Divine Grace.Comfort of Migrants will follow Refuge of Sinners.

As of July 25, 2020, the number of Masses reported for Our Lady’s intentions was 28,954. Thank you.

Our thanks to Mary Tirak, Gina Adams, Diane Niebauer, Sue Taccone, Joan Peterson, Rose Heintzel, Peggy Smith, Barb Sirianni, Peggy, David and Mike Chludzinski, Laura and Kevin Di Bacco, Kathy Wayman, Darleen Wilkinson, Barb Cesare, Marge Spase, Chris Falk, and those who want to remain anonymous for their help with the July mailing. We thank Terry Creel, Jr., Mike Golovich, and Louise Lotze for their photos in this issue. We also thank our proofreader, Pat Berrier, our webmaster, Jason Klins, and our prayer group administrator, Patti Millar.

Sr. Dolores

Masks and social distancing at the July mailing

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MARY IS CALLING YOUOn June 24, 1981 in Medjugorje, Our Lady began appearing to six

children. She identified Herself as the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Peace. Her words to the visionaries: “I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and obtain peace, you must return to God.”

Today, the Blessed Mother still appears daily to three of the visionaries, and monthly or annually to the others. They are all now adults. During the apparitions, the visionaries do not react to light, don’t hear any sound, or react to being touched; they feel that they are outside of time and space. They declare to see the Blessed Virgin as they see other people — three dimensional. They pray and speak with Her.

The Blessed Mother granted to confide ten secrets to each visionary (some are chastisements for the world). Some of the visionaries have received all ten secrets. Our Lady promised to leave a visible sign at

the original site of the apparitions in Medjugorje, for all humanity. In the meantime, this period of grace is for conversion and a deepening of faith.

Father Jozo Zovko, who was the pastor of St. James when the apparitions began, has spoken about what he calls “the weapons” or “the five stones” of Our Lady (as in the story of Goliath). They are PRAYER with the heart, especially the Rosary; EUCHARIST; BIBLE; monthly CONFESSION; and FASTING.

The publisher recognizes and accepts that the final authority regarding the apparitions at Medjugorje rests with the Holy See.

If you want a prayer cloth we made to keep, send a self-addressed stamped business size (4 1/8” x 9 1/2”) envelope with $.70 postage on it.