DAY 1 • Look!Around 6.00pm on June 24, 1981, the feast of John the Baptist, the children – Ivanka Ivankovic, Mirjana Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, Ivan Ivankovic and Milka Pavlovic – all saw an incredibly beautiful young woman with a little child in her arms, standing on Crnica hill known as Podbrdo. She didn't say anything to them but gestured that they should come closer. Surprised and frightened they were afraid to come near, even though they immediately thought her to be Our Lady.
DAY 2 • Our Lady’s little angels...
On the second day, the 25th of June 1981, the children agreed to meet once again at the same place where Our Lady had previously appeared, hoping to see her again. All of a sudden there was a flash of light. The children looked up and saw Our Lady – this time without the child. She was smiling and joyful, and was indescribably beautiful. She gestured to them to come closer. The children braced themselves and went up to her. They fell to their knees and began to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. Our Lady prayed with them except for when they prayed the Hail Mary. After the prayer, she began to speak with the children. Ivanka, first of all, asked her about her mother who had died two months previously. And Mirjana asked Our Lady for some sign to be given to show to the people that they were neither lying nor crazy, as some people had said. Our Lady finally left the children with the words, “God be with you, my angels!” Before that, when the children asked her if they would see her the following day, she replied by nodding her head. Two of the children, which made up the previous group were missing: Ivan Ivankovic and Milka Pavlovic. They never saw Our Lady again and were replaced by two others: Marija Pavlovic (Milka’s sister) and Jakov Colo.
DAY 3 • Peace, Peace Peace...Late in the afternoon, on June 26, 1981, the children made their way in anticipation to the spot where Our Lady had previously appeared. Although their joy was mixed with fear, the children could feel some sort of inner strength attracting them to the meeting. Suddenly, while they were still on their way, a light flashed three times. To them and to those following, it was a sign indicating Our Lady's whereabouts. On that day Our Lady appeared even higher up the hill than previously. Suddenly, she disappeared, but when the children began to pray, Our Lady returned. She was cheerful and smiling serenely, and once again her beauty was beyond words. When the children had earlier left their houses, some older women advised them to take holy water with them to make sure that what was happening was not of Satan. When they were with Our Lady, Vicka took the water and splashed it in the direction of the vision saying, “If you are Our Blessed Mother, please stay, and if you are not, go away from us.” Our Lady smiled at this and remained with the children. Then Mirjana asked who she was and she replied, “I am the Blessed Virgin Mary.” On the same day, coming down Podbrdo, Our Lady appeared again, but only to Marija, saying, “Peace, peace, peace and only peace.” Marija could see Our Lady in tears in front of a dark cross. She then said, “Peace must reign between man and God, and between all people!” The area where this took place is about half way up Apparition Hill and is marked by a wooden cross.
DAY 4 • Do not be afraid...
On the 27th of June 1981, Our Lady appeared three times to the children. The children asked all kinds of questions and Our Lady responded. For priests, she gave this message. “May the priests firmly believe and may they take care of the faith of the people!” Once again, Jakov and Mirjana asked for a sign, because the people had begun to accuse them of lying and of taking drugs. “Do not be afraid of anything,” replied Our Lady. Before parting, when asked if she would come again, she indicated that she would. On the way down Podbrdo, Our Lady appeared one more time to say goodbye, with the words, “May God be with you my angels, go in peace!”
DAY 5 • Pray and firmly believe...
On the 28th of June 1981, from the early hours of the morning, large crowds gathered on the hill. By noon it was estimated that fifteen thousand people were present. On the same day, the Parish Priest, Fr. Jozo Zovko, questioned the children on what they had seen and heard in the previous days. Our Lady appeared again at the usual time. The children prayed with her and afterwards questioned her. Vicka, for example, asked, “My dear Lady, what do you want from us and what do you want from our priests?” Our Lady replied, “The people should pray and firmly believe.” Regarding priests, she replied that they should believe firmly and help others to do the same. Our Lady came and went many times on that day. At one time the children asked her why she did not appear in the Parish Church for everyone to see. She replied, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Even though the crowds were pushing with their questions and curiosities, and the day was heavy and sultry, the children felt as though they were in heaven.
DAY 6 • The children are not crazy...
On the June 29, 1981, the children were taken to Mostar for a medical examination, after which they were proclaimed “healthy”. The doctor who made the examination said: “The children aren’t crazy; the person who brought them here must be, though!” The crowds on Apparition Hill that day were greater than ever. As soon as the children arrived at the usual place and began to pray, Our Lady appeared. On that occasion the Blessed Mother exhorted them to have faith, saying, “The people should believe firmly and have no fear.” That same day, a female doctor who was following and observing the children, requested if she could touch Our Lady during the apparition. The children guided her hand to the place where Our Lady's shoulder was, and the doctor felt a tingling sensation. Although an atheist, she admitted that, “Here, something strange is happening!” That same day, a child named Daniel was miraculously healed. Her parents had brought her to Medjugorje, praying specifically for a healing. Our Lady had promised that this would happen if the parents would pray and fast and strongly believe.
DAY 7 • Hindrance on the hill...On June 30, 1981, two young ladies offered to take the children to enjoy a car ride out of the village. But their intention was to take them away from Podbrdo until after the normal apparition time had passed. However, even though the children were far from the hill, when the usual time of the apparition drew close, they asked to be let out of the car. The ladies relented and when the children started to pray Our Lady came to them from the direction of Podbrdo, over a kilometre away. Soon after this incident, the police began to hinder the children and the pilgrims wanting to go to the hill and the site of apparitions, eventually banning everyone from visiting Podbrdo. But Our Lady continued to appear to the children in secret places, in their homes and in the fields. The children had already gained confidence, and openly spoke with Our Lady, eagerly seeking her advice, listening to her warnings and messages. The events of Medjugorje continued in this fashion up until the 15th of January 1982.
AND THEN... How beautiful you are...In the meantime, the Parish Priest, Fr Jozo Zovko, began to host the pilgrims in the Church, enabling them to participate in the rosary and to celebrate the Eucharist. The children also gave out the rosary. Our Lady sometimes appeared to them in the church at that time. Even Fr Jozo, while praying the rosary, once saw Our Lady. He stopped praying immediately and spontaneously started to sing a popular hymn: O how beautiful you are, Most Blessed Virgin Mary. The whole church could see that something unusual was happening to him. Afterwards he stated that he had seen Our Lady. And so, he who up until then had not only been doubtful, but openly against even rumours of the apparitions, became their defender. He testified his support of the apparitions even to the point of serving a prison sentence when tried by the communist authorities of the time.
