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Peace to you my Friend,
On June 25, 1981 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to six children in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia. The children, ages ten through sixteen, described the initial apparitions as overwhelmingly frightening and beautiful. One of the visionaries, Ivan Dragičević, is now 58 years old and has had an apparition daily for over 41 years. Only one other visionary still receives daily apparitions and the rest only experience an apparition a couple times a year. Me and the rest of my pilgrims spent the last week with Ivan and that was an utterly profound gift. We stayed at his pension and he has a Chapel next door that holds approximately 50 people. (For example, last night we were there Ivan was on my right, and the bishop of Waterford, Ireland was on my left. The bishop had brought a couple of priests, a religious sister, and about 25 high-school kids to experience Medjugorje He has done that often). Every night we all pray the rosary beginning at 5 PM and then Our Lady appears to Ivan in an apparition at about 5:40 PM.. We all are there and can see him having the encounter with Our Lady. It truly is otherworldly and Ivan talks about how he is taken out of space and time only to see the beauty of the Queen of Peace, Mother Mary. The apparition usually lasts about 10 minutes and then Ivan will explain what was communicated to him during the apparition. He told us about how uninteresting and dull life is as compared to his time with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Remember how I’ve talked about reality and that we don’t see most of reality? Yes, we do see beauty and love in this world but it is a speck compared to the unseen.
Oh my, there is so much to tell and I will seek to flesh that out in the weeks and months to come. I just wanted to give you a taste of it, a taste of Medjugorje. I have never been in a place of such grace. That is why it was difficult to come home and why I want to go back and take you with me.
I have some pretty exciting news for you! I talked to Ivan and hopefully he will come visit our parish to speak in February 2025. Cardinal O’Malley of Boston is endorsing him for the United States of America. Ivan actually splits time living in Boston and Medjugorje. An interesting fact, he married the former Miss Massachusetts and they have four children.
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My friend Craig Colson is a wonderful, talented, entertaining musician who loves his Catholic faith and is filled with the Holy Spirit. He has served the church, both locally and nationally, for over three decades in the area of music ministry. Please come to his concert this Sunday afternoon April 28! You will not be disappointed!
Also, I encourage you to come to 10 AM mass this Sunday as 42 of our youth will receive the sacrament of Confirmation! Bishop Ramon will be the celebrant and we are so blessed to have him come. May our youth come to know how much Jesus loves them and follow him above everything else.
You are loved!
+Fr John Amsberry
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