Medjugorje (Međugorje) is a town located in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is part of the municipality of Čitluk. It has a mild Mediterranean climate and it consists of five neighbouring villages: Medjugorje, Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci.
The area has been inhabited since the Roman era, but it gained its strategic importance after the 1980s. The Catholic parish of Sveti Jakov ("Saint James") was erected in 1892 by the Bishop of Mostar, Paškal Buconjić. The twelve-metre tall crucifix on the mountain called Križevac (Cross Mountain), completing the parish's Stations of the Cross (križni put), was completed in 1934.
Since 1981,the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing in Medjugorje and giving messages to the world. She tells us that God has sent Her to our world and, these years she is spending with us are a time of Grace granted by God. In Her own words She tells us, "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God".
Our Lady's mission is one of peace and love. She has come to earth to reeducate us and to help us convert and recenter our lives back to God. Our Lady's role has always been one of guiding people to Her Son, Jesus. What an amazing opportunity we have before us! It is important that we understand both the magnitude and the urgency of Our Lady's call to conversion, and that we respond with all our hearts.
Our Lady continues to give messages to six people from the village of Medjugorje: Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka. These six people (referred to as "visionaries") have had apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary since June 24, 1981.
The messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje have a strong following among Catholics worldwide, making Medjugorje Europe's third most important apparition site, with more than 1 million visitors per year.
