Pictures above; 1. Father Petar, 2. Seer Mirjana during an apparition with Our Lady.

Medjugorje was a small poor remote hidden community in the hills and mountains of what was once Yugoslavia. The villagers primarily made their living off of tobacco fields and grape vineyards. In 1980 there was barely a car to be found where roads were no bigger than pathways. By 1981 this small tiny hamlet would soon be overwhelmed with people from all around the world.

On the afternoon of June 24, 1981 two girls Ivanka Ivankovic age 15 and Mirjana Dragicevic age 16 were returning home from a walk. Ivanka looked up toward a hill called Crnica and Ivanka saw a bright silhouette of a woman. She said to Mirjana, “Look, its Gospa” (Our Lady). The two girls ran away.

The following day the girls returned to the hill with four others, Vicka Ivankovic age 16, Ivan Dragivevic age 16, Maria Pavlovic age 16 and Jakov Colo age 10. The illuminated figure was present to all the children and though some ran away, they returned. A woman in white was calling the children to come up the hill. They later stated it was like being transported to the very spot before the Lady in some mysterious way.

Before their eyes stood a beautiful woman in a veil of white showing a small amount of long black hair. She wore a gray dress and her feet rested on a cloud. The Lady calls herself “The Queen of Peace.”

Gospa (Our Lady) gives messages. At first the visionaries received messages almost daily.  Marija receives an apparition and message on the 25^th of each month. This message is shared with the world. Marjana also receives a message from Gospa on the 2^nd of each month which is also shared with the world. Thousand of messages have been given to all six visionaries both personal and public. There are however six primary messages, prayer, fasting, confession, bible reading and Eucharist. These 5 messages have become known as "the 5 stones."

Our Lady of Medjugorje is also giving each visionary a series of 10 secrets. The 10 secrets will remain so until a chosen appointed time when they will be announced to the world. The secrets are known as “Warnings signs and Chastisements” because of sin in the world.” Gospa say’s, Medjugorje is the fulfillment of the apparitions given to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.

The secrets are unknown. They will be released to the world one at a time through a chosen priest named, Father Petar. Father Petar will be given a parchment with the secrets on it that Gospa gave visionary Mirjana. Receiving the parchment, Fr. Petar will not understand what he reads as it is written in an unknown language. Together, Father Petar and Mirjana with much prayer, fasting and help from the Blessed Mother, Fr. Peter will understand and the first secret will be revealed to the world three days prior to the event taking place. The remaining secrets will follow in like manner.

We know very little about the secrets. It is widely believed the first is a regional warning sign which will be rather quickly followed by the second secret. It has now been confirmed by the seers that the first two secrets are regional events about Medjugorje itself. The third is a great powerful and wondrous mystery which will stand as testament for all time at the place of the first Medjugorje apparition site where Gospa appeared. The sign is said to be so powerful that it will be the cause of many worldwide conversions. The remaining signs are chastisements to the world, each escalating far worse than the one before. The seventh chastisement has been removed (in part) through the prayers of the faithful. The last 3 chastisements can not be removed and visionary Mirjana is said to have many sufferings over these last three. The consensus is, these last three chastisements are considered horrific.

To date Ivanka, Jakov and Mirjana have received all 10 secrets. Ivanka and Jakov now only see Gospa once a year on a specified date. Mirjana receives her annual apparition once a year also but for some years now has been given messages to share with the world on the 2^nd of each month. Vicka, Ivan and Marija have received 9 of the 10 secrets. They still see Our Lady daily. When all visionaries have received the 10 secrets it is believed the warnings and chastisements are soon to follow.

The Medjugorje apparitions are the longest known series of apparitions in the history of heavenly visitations. This extended time of Marian phenomenon is said a time of great grace and mercy poured out upon the world in hopes of many conversions in preparation for the future warnings and chastisements.

33 years later, the visionaries are all grown and married with children. They continue to faithfully spread the messages of Our Lady Queen of Peace. 33 years later, Medjugorje is completely unrecognizable from its humble beginnings. The tobacco fields and grapevines are all but gone, giving way to what may be a 100 or more pilgrim hotels and 100's of gift shops.

An estimated 100,000 plus people from all around the world visit Medjugorje for each anniversary. During the anniversary there is not one bed left available. In this once remote village where seeing a few cars were rare, hundreds of tourist busses, taxies and thousands of cars pour into Medjugorje on the June 25 anniversary. Once where only a small community lived, multitudes now assemble with one heart and purpose, with faith like a mustard seed.