date: 27.07.2016.
The August 1, the opening day of the 27th Youth Festival is approaching, the event that late Fr. Slavko Barbaric initiated in 1990. Our radio hosted people who spoke about the history of this event, but also about Fr. Slavko’s relationship with the youth. Fr. Marinko Sakota, parish priest from Medjugorje, who has been conducting this Festival for the last few years said:
„Fr. Slavko received this idea from the others, it was not originally his idea, but he was the one who accepted it and realised it. Fr. Slavko was listening to the young people, his ears were opened for their needs. It all began in 1990, with few hundred young people who gathered here. Their wish was to have the spiritual renewal held in the summer, with music and prayer and he accomplished that. The beginnings were in little steps, but those little steps can lead to major, huge results.”
Dozens of thousands of young people gather each year in Medjugorje from all over the world. Even though they are different, they function as one, all of the day they are out in the sun, not bothered by the heat, as thy know what is the reason of their coming here:
„Once a young person experiences love and peace, nothing can bother them anymore, nothing can be a problem for them. They feel good here. They feel at home, with the Mother, loved and protected. This is the experience of the Youth Festival. When I was younger, regardless of where I used to be, I was always coming here for this event when Fr. Slavko led it. This was like a spiritual renewal for me. I felt this was something that helped me renew in the spiritual terms“, said Fr. Marinko.
