Approaching our mother with an open heart

On September 26, Legatus marked a milestone as 23 members embarked on the first international pilgrimage in over 18 months. I was blessed to join them for my first-ever trip to Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia/Herzegovina.

The pilgrimage began with a pre-trip on the coast of Croatia to the port town of Dubrovnik. For 48 hours, members toured the old town, where we attended Mass at the tomb of St. Blaise. We also ventured to Montenegro, where we had Mass at the tomb of Blessed Hosanna and visited the island Church of Our Lady of the Rocks. 

The highlight of the trip, though, was the pilgrimage to Medjugorje. A mere three-hour bus ride from Dubrovnik, our group made it with little incident during border crossings and despite the complications that Covid-19 brought to the table.

Our group was comprised of a majority from the Pittsburgh Chapter, led spiritually by Fr. Tom Kunz and Fr. Joe Freedy, and heralded by Cathy Howe, returning for her 26th visit to Medjugorje.

For those who have studied Medjugorje, it can be a lot to wrap your mind around, let alone your faith. Six visionaries are purported to have received an apparition from Our Lady of Peace some 40 years ago, under the communist authority of then-Yugoslavia. These September 2021 Legatus Medjugorje Pilgrimage group visionaries are still said to receive visions and messages today, to a varied extent. For me, it was a lot to swallow. But I was encouraged by Cathy and others to go with an open heart, to take advantage of Confession, and simply allow our Mother to take hold.

During our time in Medjugorje, we visited Mother’s Village, an orphanage, Cenacolo, a home for recovering addicts, and hiked Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain. We heard many testimonies, including several from the visionaries and even were present for one such apparition. In the evenings, our group, along with tens of thousands of others, would gather at 5:00 p.m. at St James Parish, the heart of Medjugorje. We would begin with a multilingual rosary, followed by Mass, then the peace rosary which consists of the Apostle’s Creed, then seven each of Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. Adoration or veneration of the cross followed for an hour, and then benediction afterward. By 9:00 p.m., the evening would conclude. For hours each evening, we would gather for this privilege, while hundreds of priests were simultaneously hearing Confessions.

Whether I left Medjugorje a believer or not is beyond the point: if you visit Medjugorje with a clean soul and open heart, our Lady can and will change it in ways unlike I have ever experienced. It is a very special place and one that I would recommend to any person looking to rejuvenate his spiritual life and come away with a closer relationship with our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

STEPHEN M. HENLEY is Legatus' president.