Vatican Nihil Obstat — September 2024
50 Million+ Pilgrims Since 1981
Apparitions Ongoing
Guided by Tekton Since 1996
Medjugorje · A Grace for Our Times
The Story of Medjugorje
A place where heaven has touched the earth every day since 1981 — and where pilgrims return, again and again.
Queen of Peace Statue
June 24, 1981
How It Began
On June 24, 1981, two young girls were walking in the hamlet of Bijakovici in the parish of Medjugorje when a woman holding an infant appeared high on a hill among the boulders and brambles of Mount Podbrdo. Instinctively, they knew it was the Virgin Mary, but they did not approach her. They and four other children felt called to return the next day, and Our Blessed Mother drew them to her, effortlessly transporting them up the mountain, over boulders and thorny bushes.
The Blessed Mother introduced herself as the Queen of Peace. They fell to their knees and began to pray. She prayed with them and promised to return the next day. Our Lady has regularly appeared in Medjugorje ever since, as have countless stories of conversion and miracles, making The Story of Medjugorje one of the most fascinating in modern church history.
The Blessed Mother introduced herself as the Queen of Peace. They fell to their knees and began to pray. She prayed with them and promised to return the next day. Our Lady has regularly appeared in Medjugorje ever since, as have countless stories of conversion and miracles, making The Story of Medjugorje one of the most fascinating in modern church history.
The Story Today
The Church's Response to Medjugorje
The Church's discernment of Medjugorje has unfolded carefully over more than four decades. Each milestone has brought greater clarity — and greater encouragement — to the millions drawn to this place of grace.
2010
Pope Benedict XVI Establishes the Ruini Commission
Responding to the extraordinary scale of the Medjugorje phenomenon — tens of millions of pilgrims, thousands of conversions, and a documented surge in priestly vocations — Pope Benedict XVI authorized a formal Vatican investigation. Cardinal Camillo Ruini was appointed to chair the International Theological Commission tasked with studying the apparitions, their fruits, and the theological questions they raised.
2014
Ruini Commission Completes Its Work
After four years of thorough investigation, the commission completed its findings. While the full report remained internal, it was later revealed that the commission recommended that the first seven days of apparitions — those of June 24–30, 1981 — be recognized as authentically supernatural. The remarkable spiritual fruits of the ongoing Medjugorje phenomenon were also formally acknowledged.
2019
Pope Francis Authorizes Official Pilgrimages
In a landmark decision, Pope Francis authorized dioceses and parishes throughout the world to officially organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje. This represented a decisive shift — from prudent permission to active pastoral encouragement. For the first time, the Church was not merely allowing Medjugorje; it was formally inviting the faithful to go.
2024
Nihil Obstat — The Highest Available Recognition
September 19, 2024 marked the beginning of a new chapter. The Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, under Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, released a note granting Medjugorje a nihil obstat — Latin for "nothing stands in the way." This is the highest and most positive ruling currently available under the Vatican's new norms for evaluating alleged supernatural phenomena. It does not declare the apparitions formally supernatural (only the Holy Father can make such a declaration under the new norms), but it affirms that no aspects have been detected that are particularly critical or risky, and that the spiritual fruits are genuine and abundant. Bishops are explicitly encouraged to promote pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
The Invitation
Are You Being Called to Be Part of the Story?
You don’t “decide” to visit Medjugorje. You are personally invited. Typically, it starts with a stirring… an ache… a longing to withdraw from your everyday routine and grow closer to Our Lord. Even those who don’t yet know her are personally invited by Our Blessed Mother to conversion and reconciliation with God and with each other in the place where she still appears today.
Our Lady has been extending this invitation for over forty years. The visionaries tell us that no one goes to Medjugorje by accident. The Magi did not sit down and decide to follow the star. They were drawn. So is everyone who finds themselves reading these words and feeling something they cannot quite name.
Why are you being called?
A pilgrim on his knees on the rocky hillside of Medjugorje — one of countless private encounters that take place here every day.
Pilgrims carry a fellow pilgrim up Apparition Hill — a witness to the community and sacrifice that mark every journey to Medjugorje.
Our Lady's Call to Action
The Five Stones of Medjugorje
Just as God armed David with five stones to defeat Goliath, Our Lady has given us five weapons — simple, ancient, and powerful — to overcome evil and draw closer to her Son.
Prayer
“Pray, pray, pray” — Our Lady calls us to pray from the heart, not from habit, making prayer an encounter with the living God.
Fasting
Our Lady asks us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. She tells us that through fasting, we can suspend natural laws and change the course of events.
Holy Mass
Our Lady reminds us that Jesus gives us His graces in the Mass. She urges us to go to Holy Mass often and receive Christ in a state of grace.
Scripture
Our Lady asks us to place the Bible in a prominent place in our homes as an encouragement to read and meditate on God’s Word every day.
Confession
Our Lady urges monthly Confession as a means of healing, renewal, and reconciliation with God — an encounter with His mercy that changes everything.
“God sent me to Medjugorje as an act of grace to remind you that God is real, and that He loves you. I come as the Queen of Peace to bring the world back to my Son.”
Our Lady of Medjugorje
Watch: Fr. Leon Explores All Five Main Messages of Medjugorje
Where Is Medjugorje?
The Parish of Medjugorje is situated in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, close to the border of Croatia and just 50 miles from the Adriatic Sea. The name “Medjugorje” literally means “between mountains.” At an altitude of 660 feet above sea level, it has a mild Mediterranean climate.
To put it in broader context: Medjugorje sits roughly 150 miles east of the Italian coast across the Adriatic, and about 100 miles southeast of Venice as the crow flies. Pilgrims traveling from the United States typically connect through major European hubs and fly into Split or Dubrovnik in Croatia, or Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina — all within a scenic 1–2 hour drive of Medjugorje.
The surrounding landscape — rocky hillsides, vineyards, and the twin mountains of Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain — is modest and unprepared for the forty years of spiritual history that have unfolded there. This is precisely the point. Our Lady chose an ordinary village. What happened there has been anything but ordinary.
To put it in broader context: Medjugorje sits roughly 150 miles east of the Italian coast across the Adriatic, and about 100 miles southeast of Venice as the crow flies. Pilgrims traveling from the United States typically connect through major European hubs and fly into Split or Dubrovnik in Croatia, or Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina — all within a scenic 1–2 hour drive of Medjugorje.
The surrounding landscape — rocky hillsides, vineyards, and the twin mountains of Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain — is modest and unprepared for the forty years of spiritual history that have unfolded there. This is precisely the point. Our Lady chose an ordinary village. What happened there has been anything but ordinary.
Nearest Airports
Split, Croatia
~56 miles — scenic Adriatic coastal drive
Dubrovnik, Croatia
~78 miles — along the Adriatic coast
Sarajevo, Bosnia
~81 miles — through the mountain ranges
Prophetic Revelation
The Secrets of Medjugorje
From the earliest days of the apparitions, Our Lady began entrusting each of the six visionaries with ten secrets — events that will unfold in the world, revealed to humanity three days before each one occurs.
The secrets concern future events that Our Lady has chosen to share with the visionaries. As each visionary receives all ten secrets, Our Lady stops appearing to them daily. Three of the six visionaries — Mirjana (December 25, 1982), Ivanka (May 7, 1985), and Jakov (September 12, 1998) — have received all ten secrets and no longer experience daily apparitions.
Vicka, Ivan, and Marija each hold nine secrets and continue to receive daily apparitions from the Blessed Mother. They do not know how long this will continue.
The seventh secret — originally described as severe — was mitigated through the prayers and fasting of believers worldwide, demonstrating that the secrets are not inevitable but are profoundly responsive to the faithfulness of God's people.
Vicka, Ivan, and Marija each hold nine secrets and continue to receive daily apparitions from the Blessed Mother. They do not know how long this will continue.
The Lasting Sign
Among the secrets is one that concerns a permanent, visible sign that Our Lady has promised to leave on Apparition Hill (Mount Podbrdo). Our Lady told the visionaries that this sign will be left to confirm the authenticity of the apparitions for those who have not believed. Until the sign appears, she urges the world to convert through prayer and fasting.The seventh secret — originally described as severe — was mitigated through the prayers and fasting of believers worldwide, demonstrating that the secrets are not inevitable but are profoundly responsive to the faithfulness of God's people.
Secrets Received by Each Visionary
Vicka
9 of 10
Ivan
9 of 10
Marija
9 of 10
Mirjana
Complete — 1982
Ivanka
Complete — 1985
Jakov
Complete — 1998
“God desires to convert the entire world and to call it to salvation. Medjugorje is the great intervention in our times by God, calling us to a new life in Him.”
Our Lady of Medjugorje
Sacred Ground
Spiritual Sites of Significance
Every corner of Medjugorje holds a story. These are the places pilgrims return to, year after year, unable to explain fully what they found there.
Apparition Hill (Mount Podbrdo)
Overlooking the village of Medjugorje is Mount Podbrdo, the site where the visionaries first saw Our Lady appear in June 1981. Pilgrims from around the world climb Apparition Hill, sharing experiences that are profound, personal, and life-changing. It is here that Our Lady first appeared to the visionaries, entrusting them with her secrets and sharing her mission to “bring the world back to her Son.”
Mysteries of the Rosary
In 1989, huge bronze reliefs depicting the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries were installed by Florentine artist Carmelo Puzzolo so that pilgrims could pray as they ascended Mount Podbrdo. The Mysteries have been placed in the actual shape of the rosary — illuminated at night, their glow visible from Cross Mountain and throughout the village.
Queen of Peace Statue
In 2006, to honor the 25th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions, a statue of the Queen of Peace was installed near the top of Apparition Hill. This spot is considered the “spiritual summit” pilgrims strive to reach. Funds to commission the statue were donated by a Korean family whose child was healed in Medjugorje.
St. James Church
St. James is the center of sacramental life in Medjugorje. The original church was built in 1892 and placed under the protection of St. James, the patron saint of pilgrims. No one understood why such a large church was built for such a small parish — until 1981. Many pilgrims visit for daily Mass and the evening rosary.
Outdoor Altar of St. James
In 1989, an exterior altar and surrounding prayer area seating about 5,000 were built to accommodate the growing pilgrimage crowds. Croatian prayers with simultaneous translation and simple, repetitive hymns offer a reverential setting for adoration. Pilgrims are often surprised by the sacred silence amid thousands of fellow seekers.
The Confessionals
Thanks to the instructive messages of Our Lady, Medjugorje has become known as the “Confessional of the World.” In 1990, 25 confessionals were installed on each side of St. James Church. The lines are long, but pilgrims wait with patience and prayer. The confessional at St. James is considered the largest in the world.
Cross Mountain (Mt. Krizevac)
Climbing Cross Mountain is an introspective ascent during which pilgrims ponder their relationship with God. In 1933, villagers built a 16-ton, 29-foot cross on the mountain containing a relic from the True Cross given by Pope Pius XI. “Krizevac” means “Mountain of the Cross” in Croatian.
Stations of the Cross
In 1988, Italian sculptor Carmelo Puzzolo created huge bronze reliefs of the 14 Stations, which now reside in the rocks along the path up Cross Mountain. A 15th relief beneath the summit cross depicts the Resurrection. Each station weighs more than 300 pounds, carried up the mountain by the young people of Medjugorje.
Fr. Slavko Barbarić Memorial
Though Fr. Slavko first came to Medjugorje to investigate the authenticity of the apparitions, he was eventually appointed to minister to pilgrims. Every day he climbed Cross Mountain to pray the Stations of the Cross. At the last station on the last day of his life, he blessed the crowd, asked Our Lady for a happy death — and died. A memorial marks the spot.
The Blue Cross
Just south of the main path up Apparition Hill, a Blue Cross marks the spot where Our Lady appeared to the visionaries as children when they were hiding from Communist police. This is also where Mirjana would gather on the 2nd of each month to receive special messages from Our Lady for those who do not yet believe. An easy climb for those unable to reach the top of Apparition Hill.
Our Lady of Medjugorje Statue
At the entrance to the grounds of St. James Parish stands a beautiful statue of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, created and installed in 1987 by Italian sculptor Dino Felici. Day and night, pilgrims can be seen praying to their Mother and thanking her for calling them to Medjugorje.
Risen Christ Statue
In 1998, Slovenian sculptor Andrija Ajdič created this stunning 30-foot sculpture depicting the resurrected Christ stepping from the cross with arms raised in triumph. Since 2000, the statue has dripped a liquid substance from its right knee. Many pilgrims bring handkerchiefs to absorb the liquid, believing it to be miraculous. Physicists who have investigated have no scientific explanation for its manifestation.
Chosen Witnesses
The Medjugorje Visionaries
At first, Mary appeared to all of the visionaries every day, sometimes together and sometimes separately. She told them they will each be entrusted with ten secrets about events that will be revealed to the world three days before each one occurs. When the Blessed Mother shares all ten secrets, she stops appearing daily to that visionary.
Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic
Receives Apparitions: Every Day
Prayer Mission: Pray for the Sick
Vicka is the oldest of the visionaries. She was 16 years old when the apparitions began and continues to receive daily apparitions, having been entrusted with nine of the ten secrets. Our Lady has recounted her entire life story to Vicka in great detail, which Vicka has recorded in notebooks and will publish when Our Lady gives her permission. Vicka is married to Mario Mijatović and they have two children.
Ivan Dragičević
Receives Apparitions: Every Day
Prayer Mission: Pray for Priests, Families, Youth
Ivan was 16 years old when the apparitions began. He has been entrusted with nine secrets and continues to receive apparitions from the Blessed Mother every day. Ivan is married to an American woman from Boston named Laureen. They have four children and divide their time between Boston and Medjugorje.
Marija Pavlović-Lunetti
Receives Apparitions: Every Day
Prayer Mission: Pray for Souls in Purgatory
Marija was 16 years old when the apparitions began. Thus far entrusted with nine secrets, she continues to receive daily apparitions. On the 25th of each month, Our Lady delivers a message for the world through Marija, which is translated and released by the Parish Information Office. She is married to Italian man Paulo Lunetti and they have four children.
Mirjana Dragičević-Soldo
Apparitions: Once a Year — March 18
Prayer Mission: Pray for Unbelievers
Mirjana was 16 years old when the apparitions began. Our Lady entrusted Mirjana with the tenth secret on December 25, 1982, promising to appear to her every year on March 18. Five years later, Our Lady gave Mirjana the mission to pray for unbelievers. Mirjana lives in Medjugorje with her husband Marko Soldo and their two children.
Ivanka Ivanković-Elez
Apparitions: Once a Year — June 25
Prayer Mission: Pray for Families
Ivanka was 14 years old when the apparitions began — the youngest of the four female visionaries — and was the first to see Our Lady. She received the tenth secret on May 7, 1985. Our Lady promised to appear to her once a year on June 25, the anniversary of the apparitions. Her prayer mission is to pray for families. She lives in Medjugorje with her husband Rajko Elez and their three children.
Jakov Čolo
Apparitions: Once a Year — Christmas Day
Prayer Mission: Pray for the Sick
Jakov was just ten years old when the apparitions began — the youngest of the visionaries. He was traveling in the United States when Our Lady entrusted him with the tenth secret on September 12, 1998, telling him she would appear to him every Christmas Day. Jakov is married to an Italian woman named Annalisa, and they have three children. They live in Medjugorje.
Human Stories
More Interesting Facts About the Visionaries
The Memoirs of Mirjana
Mirjana is the first visionary to write a book, called My Heart Will Triumph. People generally assume Our Lady chose to appear to Mirjana on March 18 every year because it is her birthday, but Mirjana has said it has nothing to do with her birthday. This date is significant for other reasons, which will be revealed in the future.
Mother and Daughter Reunite
Ivanka’s mother died a month before the apparitions began. During one of the early apparitions, Our Lady confirmed that her mother was in heaven. Suddenly, Ivanka’s mother was standing beside Our Lady, and Ivanka was able to talk with her briefly. Over the years, Ivanka has been able to see her mother and speak with her five times.
The Loss of Two Mothers
Jakov’s mother died two years after the apparitions began, essentially leaving Jakov an orphan. After her death, the Blessed Mother became Jakov’s mother in the truest sense of the word. This made the loss of daily apparitions — when he received the tenth secret in 1998 — especially painful for him to bear.
Before You Go
Common Questions About Medjugorje
The messages that our Blessed Mother has shared with the visionaries are messages of peace and love. Our Lady says God sent her to Medjugorje as an act of grace to remind us that God does exist, and He loves us. She comes as the Queen of Peace to bring the world back to her Son. She has given us five “stones,” or weapons, to combat evil and bring us closer to Jesus: they are prayer, fasting, scripture, Mass and the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Confession. Through her miraculous works and messages, she longs to open our hearts to God and help us to reorient our lives towards His Church and the Sacraments, which so many of us have moved away from.
Looking for more? Explore in-depth answers about private revelation, Vatican approval, the visionaries, and the messages — drawn from over thirty years of accompanying pilgrims to Medjugorje.
The Star Has Been Rising for Over Forty Years
Those who come to Medjugorje rarely describe it as a trip they planned. They describe it as an answer to something they were already feeling. Tekton Ministries has been guiding pilgrims here for over thirty years — handling every detail so you can give your full attention to what you came for.
"I was so influenced by sharing the time with the Universal Church. In Our Lady's message she called us to be carriers of Peace and Joy. I truly know that Our Lady loves me as does her Son. My heart is full and overflowing."
Pam F. · Medjugorje Pilgrim from Nashville, TN
From the Blog
Recent News from Medjugorje
April 2026
Discover the spiritual benefits of pilgrimage and what really changes when you come home—from deeper prayer to a transformed relationship with the Mass and Scripture.
March 2026
Planning your first time Medjugorje pilgrimage? Discover what to expect at the sacred sites, how to prepare spiritually, and why pilgrims return transformed.
January 2025
New regulations have come into effect for travel to the UK and Israel. European requirements are set to take effect late this year and more in 2026.