Međugorje
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| Međugorje | |
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  Međugorje
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| Coordinates: 43°11′41″N 17°40′48″E / 43.19472°N 17.68°E | |
| Country |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Entity | Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Canton | Herzegovina-Neretva |
| Municipality | Čitluk |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Međugorje (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈmɛdʑuɡɔːrjɛ]) is a town located in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Herzegovina region around 25 km southwest of Mostar and close to the border of Croatia. Today the town is best known due to reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary which appeared to six Croats since 24 June 1981[1], and is now visited by thousands of pilgrims from around the entire world as an important Marian shrine.
The name Međugorje literally means an area "between mountains". At an altitude of 200 metres above sea level, it has a mild Mediterranean climate. The town consists of an ethnically-homogeneous Croat population of over 4000, and the Roman Catholic Parish (local administrative and religious area) consists of five neighbouring villages (Međugorje, Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci).
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[edit] Our Lady of Međugorje
"Our Lady of Međugorje" is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she is appearing since June 24, 1981 to six Herzegovinian Croat children in Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the time in Yugoslavia).[2]
Međugorje has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites for Catholics (and people of other faiths) in the world, with thousands visiting each year. It has been estimated that 30 million pilgrims have come to Međugorje since the apparitions began in 1981. Many have reported phenomena including the sun spinning in the sky or changing colors, and figures such as hearts and crosses around the sun.
The messages of Our Lady of Međugorje have a very strong following among Catholics worldwide. On June 4, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI blessed publicly a statue of Our Lady of Međugorje in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City.[3]
[edit] See also
- Marian apparitions
- Visions of Jesus and Mary
- Roman Catholic Marian churches
- Shrines to the Virgin Mary
[edit] References
- ^ Medjugorje.org – Overview of Medjugorje
- ^ A short history of Our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje
- ^ Le apparizioni di Medjugorje e la Santa Sede: la Gospa nel Vaticano
[edit] External links
- Parish of Medjugorje (English)
- Medjugorje.com (English)
- Messages of Our Lady of Međugorje (English)
- Ivankovic Queen of Peace Newsletter Interview with Maria Valtorta reference (English)
