A life changing letter

Anyone that has been to Mladifest will tell you that Medjugorje breathes differently during that annual youth gathering. Thousands of young people from all over the world descend upon the village beaming with joy, excitement and jubilance.

The outside altar of the St James Church is the focal point of the week. Under the worn-out tarp on the left, the white benches are lined with priests and speakers from all walks of life. On the other side, violins, guitars, drums and all sorts of other instruments accompany the exulting voices of the International Mladifest Choir. There is order in busyness and everyone on that alter has their own part in the celebration.

In the summer of 2020, during the 31st Mladifest, two young people from the parish of Medjugorje nervously stood at the side of the altar waiting to be called. The Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mons. Luigi Pezzuto held up a piece of paper and announced to the faithful that he had brought a letter from Pope Francis – a signal for the two young people to come forward. A tall young man in a white T-shirt stepped up, and with shaky hands took the letter. He began reading:

“The annual youth meeting in Medjugorje is a time rich in prayer, catechesis and fraternity. It offers all of you the opportunity to encounter the living Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist where He is praised and adored, and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation…The Church’s great model, of a youthful heart, ready to follow Christ with freshness and docility, is always the Virgin Mary. The power of her ‘yes’ and of that “let it be to me” that she said to the angel always strikes us.”

That was the first time Pope Francis addressed the youth at Mladifest, but he continued to do so every year until his death. Pope Francis made a strong impact on Medjugorje. During his pontificate, he appointed the first Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje, Mons. Henryk Hoser – who, in 2019, made the announcement that the pope had decided to authorise pilgrimages to Medjugorje. After the death of Mons. Hoser, Pope Francis appointed Mons. Aldo Cavali as the new Apostolic Visitor. Last year, Pope Francis approved the publication of the “The Queen of Peace”: Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje.

However, for those present, the gravitas of that moment in 2020 will forever remain in our memory. The young man who read the reflections of Pope Francis on the willingness to follow Christ has since than said his own ‘yes’. Now dressed in a Franciscan habit, that same young man is currently finishing his novitiate year in the Franciscan province of Herzegovina.

Marija Jerkic is the Communications Manager at Mary’s Meals Medjugorje. She is the author of the video series Fruits of Medjugorje. Marija worked for Information Center Mir Medjugorje for more than a decade. She is an alumni of Ave Maria University.