Easter in Medjugorje
Many pilgrims arrived to Medjugorje for Easter this year and all of them, together with parishioners took part in the liturgical celebration of Easter Triduum. Pilgrims came from Italy, the United States, Ireland, France, Germany, Lebanon, Austria, Portugal, Argentina, Spain, Latvia, England, Slovakia, Korea, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fr. Hrvoje Miletic led the prayer of Rosary on Holy Thursday and Fr. Ivan Dugandzic celebrated Holy Mass of Lord’s Supper along with 25 priests who have concelebrated. Fr. Ivan is his homily said that Jesus was born in the poorest circumstances, lived among poor people, died deprived of his clothes and was buried in someone else’s grave because he did not have his grave. “Before that was to take place, there were few disciples around him who did not have anything to expect. Yet, that does not even depict a little part of Jesus testimony to us. He knew well what He had to leave to His disciples and what to oblige them to, for He had brought to this world a different kind of heritage that people were unaware of. He brought joyful news about the Kingdom of God that could not have perished with His death. On the contrary, He wanted to prepare His disciples to understand and to perceive His death as a price of salvation and redemption and for them to proclaim it until His second coming”, said Fr. Ivan.
Good Friday was a day when pilgrims, in smaller or larger groups, climbed Cross Mountain and prayed the Way of the Cross in their native languages. Devotion of the Way of the Cross for Croatian pilgrims and parishioners began at 11 a.m. at the base of Cross Mountain. The afternoon service began at 5 p.m. with the Rosary, while Fr. Stanko Cosic led the service of Good Friday that began at 6 p.m.
Fr. Josip Marija Katalinic led the prayer of Rosary on Holy Saturday at 8 p.m. and Fr. Dragan Ruzic led celebration of Easter Vigil that began at 9 p.m.
Holy Masses were celebrated on Easter in many different languages and in Croatian there were Holy Masses at 7, 8, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Holy Masses in Croatian language on Easter Monday were at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
On Friday, April 25, as well as every 25th in the month when Our Lady gives her monthly message, there will be whole night Adoration in Medjugorje church. From 9-10 p.m. there will be Eucharistic Adoration and after that, for the whole night, the Blessed Sacrament will remain exposed in the church until 7 a.m. in the morning. (photos)
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