2019 Medjugorje Youth Festival - 30th
Annual Mladifest!
This year was monumental in many ways as fourteen of the highest representatives of the
Church gathered to witness and take part in the 30th Annual Youth Festival. Resulting in the Catholic News Service report that stated: “Vatican
confirms Medjugorje approval by joining youth festival." They are referring to the Pope's decree in May that opened wide the door to official parish and diocesan pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
An
estimated 60,000 youth from 97 countries attended the festival. This is an addition to the millions
who have journeyed to be a part of this celebration over the last 30 years. Also, reports stated that more than 700 priests were hearing confessions all day long - every day. Imagine!
I haven’t had the chance to go, but from what I’ve heard, the Festival that those who attend are touched deeply and profoundly by the experience.
I haven’t had the chance to go, but from what I’ve heard, the Festival that those who attend are touched deeply and profoundly by the experience.
That’s
exactly what the top representatives of the Church said in interviews following
the events. For
instance, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican head for the Promotion of the
New Evangelization celebrated the last Mass of the Youth Festival. In his
interviews following the events, who has pastoral responsibility for Marian
shrines of the world, said:
“this place is the destination for millions
of pilgrims each year…
· I
was … impressed by the great number of
youth here. Yes, this was the 30th Youth Festival, however it felt for me as I was again on the World
Youth Day. I think this is one
really important event that defines Medjugorje and involves so many people.
Not only in accommodating all these young pilgrims, but also in formation they receive. The prayer
programme is enriched with catechesis and dialogue, something of great
importance in New Evangelization in these times.
·
Prayer is at the first place, in its
peak in the Holy Eucharist and the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I
need to emphasize that the event that took place on the last evening is really
significant. After two hours of the
intensive Eucharistic celebration, we could witness the profound silence of so
many youth and 800 priests who remained in the Eucharistic Adoration.
· Those
are the elements of the New Evangelization”.
“Radio Medjugorje reported … that parts
of the festival had been watched via the
internet by more than 2.8 million people worldwide.”
In
addition to just reading reports about the youth festival, we can still
experience it today via the internet - by watching videos from all five days of
events – including watching the speakers, homilies, testimonies, processions,
adoration and prayers here:
Also,
you can still access news of each day’s events and homilies at the following
links found on the official Medjugorje parish website:
Day 1:
The
jubilee 30th Youth Festival began with the Holy Mass celebrated
by Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, General Vicar of Rome, with 620 Archbishops,
bishops and priests concelebrating. Dozens of thousands of youth were gathered
here and there were 1.747.100 live-stream viewers all over the world, never as
many as on this day. (PHOTO)
Objavljeno:
02.08.2019.
Day 2:
The
Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, was the
main celebrant on the second day of the Youth Festival, with 678 priests
concelebrating and more than 1.996.700 live-stream viewers from all over the
world. (PHOTO)
Archbishop
Henryk Hoser, the Apostolic Visitor for the parish of Medjugorje celebrated on
the third day of the Youth Festival the evening Holy Mass with 689 priests
concelebrating. There were 2.258.400 live-stream followers through the
providers of Information Centre Mir Medjugorje from all over the world. (PHOTO)
Objavljeno:
04.08.2019.
Fr.
Marinko Sakota read the greetings given by Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.
I
am already looking forward to being able to come to Medjugorje for the next
Mladifest, if God wills it. Pray for Pope Francis, to whom we owe so much.
Objavljeno:
05.08.2019.
Day
4:
At
the beginning of Holy Mass, Fr. Marinko Sakota, OFM, thanked Cardinal of
Vrhbosna Vinko Puljic, for his coming here and expressed his great joy as our
shepherd from Bosnia and Herzegovina joined us here.
“Your
Most Reverend Eminence, I know how long you have waited for this moments and
how you longed to be with us in Medjugorje. I know how much you were with us
and sympathised with us in these years”, said Fr. Marinko. (PHOTO)
Objavljeno:
05.08.2019.
Day
5:
Archbishop
Rino Fisichella celebrated Holy Mass with 714 priests concelebrating and there
were 2.856.000 live stream followers, with hundreds of thousands of those who
watched live broadcasting on TV networks. (PHOTO)
Objavljeno:
16.08.2019.
Interview
following Youth Festival:
MSGR.
Hoser: The first reaction and the first thing I have to say is that bishops,
archbishops and cardinals from Rome and other places, were at first
surprised. They discovered an unknown reality that was often
hidden. They were very moved, sensitised by the atmosphere that was at the
Youth Festival, by the enthusiasm and joy shown by the young people. (PHOTO)
Objavljeno:
16.08.2019.
Another
Interview:
As
we know, one branch of the New Evangelisation has pastoral responsibility for
the shrines in the world. Even though Medjugorje has still not been officially
recognised as the shrine, this place is the destination for millions of
pilgrims each year. Since we too have the responsibility for pilgrimages, I
received this invitation with great gratitude, as it has brought me here.
Objavljeno:
16.09.2019.
Finally,
I’d like to share a few thoughts from the homily by the Pope’s representative
in Medjugorje, the Apostolic Visitor, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, which was given
on Day 3 of the Festival and was found at the link above:
"At the first sight, [there
is] nothing special about this Croatian, peasant parish, surrounded with
vineyards and green hills.
However, Medjugorje is also
something that one needs to encounter…
It is that invisible reality,
yet intensive and very much present. This is the world of the spirit, the world
where man encounters God and this encounter takes place inside each of us, it
takes place in our hearts. Poor human hearts that jump for joy or [are]
devastated with pain…
To dwell with the Most Holy
Trinity in our hearts… is where our Mother of God and our Mother is leading us
to, the same Mother from Czestochowa, from Vilnus, Lourdes, Fatima, Kibeho and
from Medjugorje, the Queen of Peace. Let us allow her to lead us!”
I pray that
these words, images and videos move us.
May they help
us experience the “invisible reality, the world of the spirit, the world
where man encounters God” that is so “intensely present” in
Medjugorje that Archbishop Hoser proclaims in his homily.
And I pray
that Our Mother’s coming to earth is not a gift that God has given to us in vain.
Mary, Our
Lady, Queen of Peace and our Mother, help us to become
instruments in helping bring about your Triumph that you first prophesied in Fatima and have echoed in Medjugorje – a Triumph we so desperately
need in this world of ever-increasing darkness.
Thank you,
Almighty Father, for allowing Mary to be present to us in such a supernatural way in this time of
extraordinary mercy. May we use this time wisely, and by the prayers and
sacrifice we offer, may many souls be saved for your glory. In Jesus’ Name we
pray. Amen.
© Janet Moore
2019. All Rights Reserved.
THANKS FOR SHARING,....MY FAMILY AND i WERE THERE....WITH ONE OF OUR PRIESTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES !PRAISE GOD. pRAISE JESUS AND MAMA MARY !
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I'm so glad you got to experience it firsthand! How wonderful!
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