- The name MEĐUGORJE, a beautiful name that makes the heart dance at its mention, was first mentioned in historical documents over 120 years ago.
- The first parish church at that time was unusually large for the needs of the faithful. It was built in 1892 and demolished in 1978 due to unstable ground. The parish had only 1660 residents, and the large building was too much for the number of worshippers. Why? If it had remained, it would have been too small to accommodate believers from around the world. God had another plan.
- The construction of the new church began in 1934. Although the population of the five hamlets that make up the Međugorje parish did not significantly increase, and the number of residents decreased, the plans included a much larger church than the old one. Why the church was so large, already called a “basilica” before the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, was not explained at that time. Today, we understand why. God had a greater plan.
- The new church was built and consecrated in 1969, dedicated to St. James, the patron saint of pilgrims, quite fitting, isn’t it? No one could have imagined then that it would become the focal point of sacramental and prayer life not only for parishioners but also for pilgrims worldwide. God had an incredible plan.
- Did you know that the idea to build the cross on Šipovac Hill (now Cross Mountain) came directly from the Vatican and the pope? Pope Pius XI expressed a desire for crosses to be built on elevated points worldwide on the occasion of the 1900th anniversary of Christ’s death. The small and poor Međugorje parish embraced the idea, and in 1934, they managed to build a vow-reinforced concrete cross, an incredible 8.56 meters high and 3.5 meters wide, in a record-breaking 52 days. Keep in mind that they carried all the necessary materials up the steep Herzegovinian rocky terrain on their backs.
A small village, a poor region, a small parish, a huge church, an impressive cross – therefore, long before the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, it was planned to become a destination for millions of pilgrims. Human logic cannot comprehend such development until it is understood that nothing is impossible for God. Medjugorje is proof that for everything it does and builds, God has a plan. What the plan is for the future, we are yet to see. Judging by everything, from 1599 until today, we can expect great things, perhaps even the greatest.
Credit: (Blanka Klasic/medjugorje-info.com)
