His description of the surroundings put me back over 25 years when I lived in that region from November of 1980 to February of 1983. I was fond of the rocky terrain. Any path leading into that area is as beautiful as described by Ruse. I lived on the outskirts of Mostar - about 30 minutes by car from Medjugorje. I got there through Zagreb, not from Dubrovnik as some may go. I have some old photos I should scan of the three-sided mountain tunnel which ran alongside the Neretva river. Truly stunning!
Austin talks about his personal skepticism about the alleged apparitions, which mirrors my own reasons for personal disbelief in authenticity. Given the official status of Medjugorje, I remain open to the wisdom of Holy Mother Church on the matter. I truly believe that events will be separated from fruits, and truth will prevail.
Ruse talks about how the place itself can move even a skeptic of the apparitions to prayer,which has a lot of truth to it:
Though I am a skeptic of the visions, I am a believer in the place. That is the thing about Medjugorje. It is quiet and prayerful. In fact, it is the most prayerful place I have ever visited. Where ever you go there, you are drawn to prayer. It is almost involuntary. Your mind and heart are raised to God constantly, almost against your will.
[snip]
What most people don’t know is that this place was a pilgrim site long before the phenomenon. People have tramped up and down Cross Hill for at least a century. Though the Blessed Mother may not be appearing there, what is happening there is prayer. Millions and millions of prayers cannot be ignored. This is the wonder of the place.
For a moment there, in that first paragraph, I could have easily thought he was talking about my parish - Assumption Grotto in Detroit (Austin, consider yourself invited for a visit!). While it is absent the emotions of visiting a place that some believe the Blessed Mother physically appeared, it nonetheless is an oasis amongst parishes today. Marian devotion flourishes there, but it is particular. More on that near the end. I'm going to bring my own parish in throughout this post, not because it is special, but because it is ordinary in the sense that it should be and I think many of the things that it offers are things for which many yearn. They travel across the world to experience silence and expressions of faith that they should be able to get right in their own parish.
Does the Blessed Virgin Mary need to be appearing some place to prompt the kinds of things Austin talks about? Not if we believe in the graces connected with the Sacraments - especially with confession. The same can be said about Eucharistic and Marian devotion, and when priests teach the fullness of the faith from the pulpit, and in the confessional, without ambiguity. In fact, the homily or sermon should prompt us to make an examination of conscience, unless we are there to examine the conscience of all those other people. I remember the preaching in Medjugorje decades ago. It touched on subjects otherwise undiscussible. They talked about.... [gasp]......sin. And, you know what? Folks wanted to hear about such subjects. There are parishes today where a handful of people will probably get up and walk out because their self esteem is bruised. So? They have a free will. The pride of a few should not lead to the neglect of the many who want to hear that admonition.
But are these things readily accessible or cultivated in our parishes?
At Assumption Grotto, it is indeed the case. I am acutely aware of some magnificent conversions, and they are sustained for many years now. They are sustained by the hard work of priests who work there, preaching nothing less than the fullness of faith, and willing to sit in confessionals even outside of posted times. Confession lines are long, by parish standards, every Sunday before the 9:30am and Noon Masses. And, believe me, seeing people standing in line for confession, or seeing a priest in the confessional, is inviting to the Sacrament. I am convinced that this is a kind of grace that God gives to souls - a visible cue - in which he draws them to repent. Therefore, it does not surprise me that so many people would go to confession in Medjugorje.
How was it possible that so many locals could attend daily Mass in Medjugorje? Answer: It was held in the evening. Can we do this in scattered parishes around our dioceses to make it accessible? Attendance at daily Mass at Grotto is solid because priests encourage it, and because they give opportunities at times needed by workers and students (early morning and evening). Some people only go a few times weekly, as they can. Contrary to popular belief, daily Mass is not just for old people trying to get into heaven. With a priest shortage this may be difficult, but it doesn't mean priests in certain areas cannot work together to hold their daily Masses at different times, some of those times suitable to working class folk. Too many parishes in a radius of several miles hold only retiree Masses.
Medjugorje is big on Eucharistic adoration. Do our parishes offer Adoration? It is offered daily in a chapel at Grotto, and at other times. There are a few other chapels in the area, but truly, I have to drive at least 20-30 minutes in any direction to find one. Hopefully, Archbishop Vigneron can do for Detroit what he did in Oakland. There were only 10 chapels when he first took the helm there. When he left this past year to head the Archdiocese of Detroit, there were over 50 chapels.
As an aside, the priests recently began offering a post-Mass Rosary on Sundays and after the 7:30am and 7:00pm weekday Masses that is well attended. I would estimate at least 95% remain in prayer after Mass on Sundays. This may not work for every parish, but our pastor started it, watched how people responded, and with high participation, kept it. Most were already praying the Rosary, but this pulled us all togehter.
Austin talks about profound silence in Medjugorje (I'm presuming he meant in the parish Church - St. James). The depth of silence in Assumption Grotto parish, between Masses, even when full of people, is deafening! The only thing heard are kneelers going up and down, confessional doors opening and closing, and an occasional cough or baby making noises. People understand how precious this silence is before the Blessed Sacrament and they seize it. Socializing takes place after Mass where meats are grilled, and coffee and donuts are offered (about 48 Sundays out of the year). Some families hang out for an hour or more, letting their kids mingle. Contrast this with the average American parish (and I've been in many), where the decibels in Church rival that of a mall on a Saturday afternoon, and people are tripping over each other, and even the priest, to get out before Mass is over. I should know, I was one of them (sorry, Father). Our priests and bishops need to cultivate this silence. Sometimes, I think they are too concerned with hurting people's feelings without considering how hurt Our Lord is that so many are indifferent to His Presence and His desire to talk with them in their hearts. One should not have to go to Medjugorje, or a parish an hour away, to experience this.
"Medjugorje yields many vocations" is another thing that I hear. For a parish of about 800 families, Assumption Grotto has a steady flow of male and female vocations - diocesan and religious order. I just photographed the first Mass of Charles White IV, and we have a few others in seminary or convent, not to mention a handful of young people discerning while going to school. This too is a fruit of a parish where the fullness of the faith is taught and cultivated. The parish has an altar boy corp of probably over 40, with many young men choosing to serve beyond their 18th birthday.
The big thing about Medjugorje is it's Marian lure. At my parish, Marian devotion is fostered with an emphasis on Mary in Scripture, and in Church documents, the writings of Church fathers and doctors, popes, and approved apparitions. The pastor does not permit any apparition or private revelation which are not approved to be promoted, nor does he encourage involvement with them. In fact, he has urged caution, which is a prudent response. Why spend time on things that are not approved, when there is an arsenal of things approved?
I want to shift gears with another thought on this while I have it. I don't think Austin was suggesting this, but I have heard it elsewhere, and from respectable sources. With regards to Medjugorje, I have had a couple of priests tell me that they don't believe the apparitions are authentic, "but confessions conversions, and vocations are happening there, so let it be."
I have a fundamental problem with this line of thinking and it goes like this:
If the Church comes to a conclusion that the apparitions at Medjugorje are not supernatural, I am convinced that she will make this very clear, regardless of the visible, good fruits, but not before she can fully comprehend it and communicate it without ambiguity. I say this because if she looks past the truth to keep something going for the sake of what good it brings, then the Church engages in consequentialism. Pope Benedict XVI, of all people, will not take that path. Nor will he disregard truth in order to spare people's feelings. Any threat from the government which loomed over the head of the local Church if a negative judgment had been passed back in the late 80's or early 90's is now gone. I'm convinced that continuing to investigate the alleged apparitions under the political circumstances of the time may have been a prudent path indeed.
However, I also do not believe that Pope Benedict would simply call it a day and leave millions of people hanging without considering how to best keep them in the fold. One of the greatest fears many have over Medjugorje is that IF a negative judgment comes, some followers will not be able to accept it. We have seen this with each of the condemned apparitions and this is how Satan wins: Division.
Should the Church come to a conclusion that Medjugorje is not supernatural, I believe the Holy Father, in his great charity, will amaze the Catholic world in a way that preserves and acknolwedges authentic Marian devotion, while curbing some of emotional fanaticism and dangerous sensationalism that has plagued the Church in recent years. Our Lady is seen on everything from latte foam to toast and people wow their way to these claims.
I'm going to come back to Austin's comment, in which he says he is a believer of the place. I pose this question again: Do we need to go to the other side of the globe to experience the many things that truly lure good and faithful Catholics to Medjugorje?
No. I think the answer lies not in people going to Medjugorje because it is a place which invites heightened spiritual awareness and response. I think the answer lies in making our parishes the center of our spiritual activities.
What can you do?
For starters, pray for your pastor and parish priests. Secondly, ask for adoration, even if it is just one evening or afternoon per week to start. As people get involved see if it can be expanded. Be charitable and if he says, "no", don't argue with him. Try to understand why. It could be that he is not confident he will have enough people to cover it, or is overwhelmed Perhaps he is charged with several parishes - talk to people in those parishes and come up with a plan that will work for people in all of those parishes. Continue to pray for your priests, give them some space and try again at a later time. Be supportive and patient. It's incompatible with charity to show anger to our pastors, even if only in our hearts, while asking for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
If you have a regular confession time, show up and go to confession, especially on first Saturdays. While people respond to a priest in the confessional, many priests will be overjoyed with an uptick in the number of people coming to confession. If there is no regular confession time, ask for one, and be there! If you get advice that you know counters the CCC, find a new confessor if he is steadfast in beliefs that clearly counter it.
Encourage silence. While it is the pastor's job to foster this, it is also something the laity can help with. Don't hold casual conversations in Church. Take them outside. Ask your pastor to talk about the need for silence. There are ways to communicate this need without being condescending. Invite people to speak to God in his own language: Silence. They may be surprised with what He has to say to them.
And I'll say it again....pray for your priests and bishops!
I will allow for a limited number of comments which are truly relevant to the discussion. I won't be posting anything which discusses the apparitions themselves.
See also, my Medjugorje FAQ's and Official Documents site (a work in progress).
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
16 Comments:
Dear Diane,
Thank you for the excellent, informative post. God bless you!
Yes, thank you.
The Church will survive if there is a bad reaction to a Vatican pronouncement that the apparitions were false.
And I agree with your posting, why go halfway around the world when you can experience the same thing in your own parish.
Some people different types of encouragement with which I agree with, but just because "there are good fruits" is not justifiable to render Medjugorjie as correct.
As if I haven't said enough already, here is another point to ponder.
Growing up in the 70's, legitimate Marian piety and devotion were systematically suppressed. This not only happening in parishes, bu was true also in seminaries. For all I know, it may still be happening.
I have long believed that part of Medjugorje's lure, was the ability to freely engage in these expressions of prayer and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary which were not welcome in many parishes. In fact, there are still parishes where Marian devotion is frowned upon. It often goes hand-in-hand with parishes where there there is dissidence, and an incomplete picture of the faith painted from the pulpit.
I experienced this first hand in more than one parish. Things are changing because this newer generation of priests has been influenced by the very Marian, Pope John Paul II.
People would do well to read the Apostolic Exhortation, written in 1974, Marialis Cultus, which says:
We therefore wish to dwell upon a number of questions concerning the relationship between the sacred liturgy and devotion to the Blessed Virgin (I), to offer considerations and directives suitable for favoring the development of that devotion (II) and finally to put forward a number of reflections intended to encourage the restoration, in a dynamic and more informed manner, of the recitation of the Rosary, the practice of which was so strongly recommended by our predecessors and is so widely diffused among the Christian people (III).
There is much more about Marian piety and devotion. Contrary to what some were taught, Vatican II did not abrogate these things, but encouraged healthy expressions of them.
Piety without obedience is false piety, a fruit of self-love and a means of destruction. There is always a way to tell true piety from false piety, though, and it is not just obedience; it is also silence. Silence is something the devil can almost imitate, but, not perfectly. He can conjure a false silence, a silence that rings of spiritual deafness and of a cold heart, but that is all. True, pure silence, the silence of love, the contemplative and pious silence which we must cultivate if we wish to hear God's Voice (for only a recollected soul can hear Him), is, in a word, humility. Humility is the language of charity, the true testing of piety, and this humility is built upon obedience. And Satan cannot be obedient, though he could try to appear so through deception, such as lies and brainwashing. A true site of apparition is a site of humility: it dose not burst onto the scene but quietly closes itself up like a flower afraid to be touched; it dose not wish for anything but He Who is the Well-spring of Love, even Love Itself: namely, God. And this humility is also, by the paradox of the Cross, active and preachy, trumpeting God and His Mercy at every turn. But how so? Because humility, while closed to all but God, willingly spreads a good message, which it perceives as the very message of the Gospel - since private revelations merely repeat what is already known in the Gospel - not only through word but also by action, imitating Jesus Christ, the Word and Power of God, who is present in the Holy Eucharist - yet, this activity is only done through obedience, which is why, whenever the saint is told by the proper authority to cease with the revelations, he complies at once, for he, just like Our Lord, holds obedience above all things - even something that's holy.
A very good post. My own reconversion was at Medjugorje and it has stuck--for 15 years and counting.
It is a holy place but the disobedience there has made me go quiet about it.
YES, we miss our Blessed Mother! My own pastor nearly squashed our Marian devotions in May after approving them and may not allow them at all next year. He stopped the rosary after weekday Mass too.
So sad.
I travel 75 miles to an FSSP parish on the lovely Marian Feasts or other high feasts for there I know that Our Lord and Our Lady will be honored and it will not be some mission appeal for money so the feast of the day does not need to be spoken of.
Fathers, I beg you, let us again have our devotions and also properly celebrated Masses according to norm and also may be have sacred hymns again and not protestant feel good about ourselves songs. Please.
Nick,
Your comment is on solid spiritual ground.
Silence indeed is key, as is obedience. As I have wrote many times before, in particular when it comes to those claiming to receive private revelations or seeing heavenly persons:
Obedience is a gateway through which only the Holy Spirit and angels may pass; it is a barrier to the Angel of Darkness.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Anonymous Mon Aug 10, 01:46:00 PM 2009 said, YES, we miss our Blessed Mother! My own pastor nearly squashed our Marian devotions in May after approving them and may not allow them at all next year. He stopped the rosary after weekday Mass too.
Here I would urge caution with regards to judging your pastor.
Does he feel that the kind of Marian devotion is consistent with Marialis Cultus. Or, are private revelations and apparitions not approved being promoted?
I can tell you that while we have a priest-led Rosary after our Sunday Masses, with about 95% participation, it ends in 15 minutes and then there is total silence as people remain in quiet prayer. Others are respectful of the Blessed Sacrament and exit quietly without conversation, backslaps, laughter and other things that hinder people from praying.
The very Marian, Fr. Perrone, has cautioned us against long periods of vocal prayers, and has urged us to spend time in silence, and doing mental prayer. For this reason, he is sensitive to the time devoted to public vocal prayers in order to enable others to engage in silent prayer. Those who want to do other devotions are free to do them, as well, but silently.
These are the kinds of concerns that I would encourage you to discuss with your pastor. Take some time to understand his apprehensions, and make him comfortable explaining them (in other words, don't jump all over him, but give him the benefit of the doubt).
Put another way, don't assume that a pastor who curbs public devotion in the parish Church is anti-Marian. I've known very Marian priests who will sometimes do this. Whether we agree with his reasons, doesn't matter - it's his parish. He may simply want to satisfy people with different devotions - all of them legitimate. Or, may be experiencing disobedience on the part of those who are bringing unapproved private revelations into public parish devotions.
See if there are other times that these things can be done. He may permit, for example, a public Rosary to be said 30 minutes prior to Mass that would finish no later than 10 minutes prior to Mass so people can prepare in silence for worship.
Above all, pray for your pastor, and with a humble attitude, work with him. You won't get all that you want, but if you remain kind, charitable, patient, and prayerful, you might be surprised with the graces that come.
Just returned from a week in Medjugorje (Youth Festival). 50,000 people in attendance.
Confessions ran from early morning until late at night. never have I seen so many priests administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation in one small area, about 30 yards square.
At one period over 100 priests were confessing the people, while 520 priests concelebrated Mass!
Confession, the long forgotten Sacrament of the Church, is alive and well in Medjugorje. People do not confess unless prompted by the Holy Spirit. So I guess the Holy Spirit wass working overtime in Medjugorje last week.
Do we need to go to the other side of the globe to experience the many things that truly lure good and faithful Catholics to Medjugorje?
Good and faithful Catholics don't need Medjugorje. That is not why the Blessed Mother is there. It is for those who are not Catholic or even not Christian. Medjugorje has converted pagans and skeptical Christians like nowhere else. It has also drawn many to vocations like nowhere else. The resulting priests, bishops and lay people who embrace Medjugorje are some of the most devout and conservative Catholics. As a converted Catholic who was non-Christian before Medjugorje, I see the value of Medjugorje where some others simply cannot.
Pilgrim,
You have to admit, that Our Lady would be most pleased if people had such fervor for confession in parishes throughout the world. This is my point.
While it may take 100 priests and hundreds in confession lines for some people to be moved, I know by experience that if the right things are cultivated by parish priests, people will respond.
It has to start with the parish priests, and there is no better time than in the Year for Priests, with a close look at the great confessor, St. John Vianney!
Timothy says (broken up so that I may respond):
Good and faithful Catholics don't need Medjugorje. That is not why the Blessed Mother is there.
The Church has not declared these alleged apparitions as supernatural.
It is for those who are not Catholic or even not Christian. Medjugorje has converted pagans and skeptical Christians like nowhere else.
Is it because the Blessed Mother is appearing there, or because a rich form of Catholicism is manifest in the actions of faithful priests who hear confessions, offer spiritual direction, promote Marian and Eucharistic devotion, and talk about the faith in it's fullness.
I am fully aware of the misguided and sinful actions of a few priests conneted with Medjugorje. And, while I do not personally believe in authenticity, I believe that the vast majority of priests who accompany pilgrims are solid in the basics of the faith. As I stated earlier, people are hungry for the fullness of the faith, which they are not necessarily getting. In fact, some are being fed dissidence.
It has also drawn many to vocations like nowhere else. The resulting priests, bishops and lay people who embrace Medjugorje are some of the most devout and conservative Catholics.
The case of Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC is probably the most noteworthy - a true modern day Augustine. His conversion was genuine. He was prompted to visit after spotting a book on the apparitions. How do we ezplain such things if we do not believe the apparitions are authentic? The answer for me is grace. While I don't believe Our Lady is appearing to anyone connected with Medjugorje, I do believe she is using the place to her advantage. It doesn't mean it should be promoted, because that would not be respectful of the Zadar Declaration which never authorized a cult following or promotion of the apparitions (and before that, we know the local bishop did not permit the cult following).
As a converted Catholic who was non-Christian before Medjugorje, I see the value of Medjugorje where some others simply cannot.
First of all, welcome home! Secondly, take some time to explore the great depth of approved writings and private revelations that have been accumulated over 2000 years in the Church. Explore St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Bonaventure, St. Ambrose, St. John Vianney, St. Faustina, and church documents like Marialis Cultus.
By some grace, Medjugorje - authentic or not - brought you to the great door. Now that you have walked through it, look around and enjoy all of these beautiful treasures captured in our Church.
I hope you are in a parish which is helping you to grow in the faith, above and beyond, Medjugorje.
I too am reserved about Medjugorje. It has had a profound inmpact on my extended family and I know a family who's son was healed of deafness there. However, things do not seem as they should. When I went there I experienced a strong Marian precence, and a spirit of child-like joy. Every Marian place I have visited has it's own charism, such as penance in Fatima. God and our Blessed Mother do choose to set aside cetrian place as holy ground, even before Christ. Pilgrimages to these places have always held a special place in the life of the Church as a holy spiritual practice. So, while it is true that you 'need' not travel around because we have the Eucharist, it does seem that some particular grace are reserved for the pilgrims that visit these holy places. The Church even grants indulgences to those that make the pilgrimage to many places. While I reserve judgement and agree that probably something was going on initially and things have strayed since then, I think one ought to be careful not to discourage pilgrimages to holy places.
Thanks for your comment Blake. Thanks be to God the lad has regained his hearing.
I just want to make one point about alleged healings.
Who decides what is an authentic healing which can be attributed to some person or event, such as Medjugorje?
The answer is Holy Mother Church.
Of all the miracles claimed to date at Medjugorje, none of those cases sent to and studied at the Medical Bureau at Lourdes, which examines such claims, has been declared as authentic. Consider, that in 30 years, not a single healing has been declared miraculous by the Church (this link explains at Lourdes explains the bureau and the process well)
Until the Church authenticates a miracle, it should be considered alleged or possible.
What a nice article. And I tend to agree with you.
I don't think the Church can officially begin to make a judgment on Medjugorje until at least the first three 'secrets' come to pass with validation. If they are revealed and nothing happens, then the Church can step in and say no to the whole phenomenon. But the emphasis is correct - what is occurring there as far as prayer and penance are concerned, as it should be in every parish throughout the world.
I have deleted my original comment and reposted it because the statement was incomplete. Here it is with additional notes.
Peary said, "I don't think the Church can officially begin to make a judgment on Medjugorje until at least the first three 'secrets' come to pass with validation. If they are revealed and nothing happens, then the Church can step in and say no to the whole phenomenon."
Truly, if those responsible for investigating uncover things that are incompatible with Catholic teaching, or incompatible with certain criteria, such as the 1978 Criteria for discernment of apparitions, or other criteria they may have developed since that time, but not made public, it can indeed be condemned at any point.
N.B.: The 1978 criteria for discernment of apparitions was never intended to be a public document, but a tool for bishops and those helping them with discernment. Hence, it is plausible that an unpublished, updated set of criteria for discernment of apparitions and private revelations has been made and is being used. This is speculation, but to my mind, plausible. Further, I don't think the 1978 criteria anticipate some of the challenges faced by bishops today on these matters.
The bishop of Medjugorje clearly followed that 1978 criteria, but disobedience by clergy close to the seers (who were children at the time) allowed the situation to get away from him, and ultimately, from the Church.
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