May 14, 2023 - Are you a religious tourist looking to visit authenticated miracles in Croatia? Meet the Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg.

I first visited Medjugorje in 1987 after I heard of the alleged appearance of the Virgin Mary to six kids who were tending goats on a remote hillside.

Back then, it had one-third of all the tourism beds in the whole of Bosnia and Hercegovina. The town has grown considerably since then, attracting about 1.5 million tourists a year (compare that with 20 million for all Croatia).

ludbregSome 36 years after my first visit, the so-called Apparitions have still not been formally recognised by the Vatican.

Indeed, the Bishop of Mostar over the years has been openly skeptical over the years.

And while there are 1.5 million visitors to a site not recognised by the Vatican, thousands of pilgrims driving down from Central Europe each year drive past a Croatian destination which not only has an authenticated miracle, but one which you can visit daily, even during Holy Mass. And VERY few tourists know anything about it.

A rather unusual tale of three churches, including one that the Croatian government promised to build in 1739, but only got round to in 1994 during the Homeland War.

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Some significant news for Catholic believers in the Medjugorje phenomenon and the recent announcement of Medjugorje visionary Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo, translated from a local Medjugorje portal. 

On March 18, 2020, a significant turning point occurred for the whole of Medjugorje, the world, and many believers who make pilgrimages to the Blue Cross at the foot of Apparition Hill every 2nd day of every month.

Namely, Medjugorje-Info reports that the Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo will no longer have public apparitions or receive the messages that Our Lady has given since August 2, 1987, until now. 

Recall that Mirjana had daily apparitions from June 24, 1981, to December 25, 1982. That Christmas, Our Lady announced to Mirjana that she would no longer have regular (daily) meetings with Our Lady, but left her a gift, that is, she could see her for her birthday as long as she was alive. Thus, on Wednesday, at 13.41, at her family home, surrounded by her family members, Mirjana found out that there would be no more apparitions every 2nd day of every month, as Our Lady gave her the message conveyed below:

“Dear children, my Son as God has always looked above time. I, like his mother, see him in time. I see beautiful and sad things. But I see that there is still love and that she needs to make it known. My children, you cannot be happy if you do not love one another, if you do not have love in every situation and every moment of your life.

I, as a mother, come to you for love. To help you to know true love, to know my Son. That is why I urge you to thirst for love, faith, and hope again and again. The only source you can drink from is trust in God, my Son. My children, in times of turmoil and renunciation, you only seek the face of my Son. You only live His words and do not fear. Pray and love with honest feelings, good deeds, and help the world change and my heart wins. Like my Son, I tell you to love one another because without love, there is no salvation.

Thank you, my children!"

Mirjana Soldo wrote in her book, "MY HEART WILL WIN" (Matica hrvatska Citluk, 2016, p. 142):

“Our Lady also gave me a precious gift. She told me that she would appear to me once a year, March 18, for the rest of my life. March 18 is my birthday, but Our Lady did not choose that date for that reason. For her, ‘My birthday is no different than anyone's birthday. Only when things that are kept secret will begin to unfold, will the world understand why she chose March 18, and the meaning of that date will be clear to all.’”

Recall Mirjana's first experience of the pain that remained in her mind when Our Lady told her that Christmas in 1982, that she would not have a regular apparition.

"The first month was really difficult for me. Our Lady also warned me. I was in severe depression. I avoided everything, locked myself in my room, where I always waited. I cried and called her. I felt her help and waited for my birthday to come,” Mirjana revealed at the time.

Our Lady had already announced her departure that year with words, which she confirmed for the second time.

"Mirjana, I have chosen you and told you everything you need. I have also conveyed to you many fears that you should carry with dignity. Think of me and how much I shed tears because of this. You should always be brave. You quickly understood my messages and so you have to understand that I have to leave too. Be brave.”

Until now, Mirjana had been listening to Our Lady's voice, sometimes seeing and praying with her for unbelievers.

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Mirjana Dragičević-Soldo, one of alleged Medjugorje visionaries, has a villa in the Blace Bay, part of the Municipality of Sućuraj on the Croatian island of Hvar. According to Index.hr, she has poured concrete over ancient rocks and then covered them with stone tiles. According to land records, there is no doubt that the house is hers, given that Mirjana and her husband Marko Soldo are listed as the owners of both the house and of the plot of land.

Deck chairs have been placed on the paved part of the shore, which means that someone has usurped the maritime domain since it has been determined that no concession permit has been granted for that part of the coastline.

According to locals, people who reported this incident to the authorities have received threats.

“What House? What beach? What concrete? This is the first time I've heard about all this. It's not true, and I will not stoop down to that level and comment on it," said Soldo, when asked to comment on the news.

Although she claims she is surprised, the house she says she did not know existed is actually registered in the land register, immediately above the devastated part of the shoreline. It covers an area of 314 square metres and is owned by Marko and Mirjana Soldo. It appears that there is no permit for that house.

Until now, it was not known that one of the Medjugorje “visionaries,” Mirjana Dragičević Soldo, has a luxury villa on the island of Hvar. The villa covers over 300 square metres and a large swimming pool and is available for rent via the Booking.com platform. The whole villa has four bedrooms and is available for rent. It is sold out for the main part of the tourist season, but you can still rent it in late September. Three nights in September cost 12,500 kuna, so we can only speculate on the price during the peak tourist season.

The mayor of Sućuraj, Ivan Slavić, (HDZ) says he did not know anything. “The section in question is about 13-14 metres long by two, two and a half metres wide. I would point out that she allegedly poured concrete on it. After receiving a report from the county, we notified the State Inspectorate. They came and conducted a field inspection. They will make the appropriate decisions”, said the mayor.

“There are sections like this on this and that side. You can see how many there are. Parts of the construction have probably existed before. The only thing that is fresh is this paving," said the mayor. He does not know when exactly it was made. “I can't tell you, the municipality didn't know," said Slavić, explaining that he heads a large municipality with a long coastline and not a lot of money. The municipality of Sućuraj has about 400 inhabitants.

“We condemn every instance of devastation, but there are fewer of those now. Citizens' awareness is improving, 99 percent of the constructions were done in the 1970s and 1980s," he said.

“These are mostly weekend houses that locals do not visit very often. Most people come there by boat and not on foot. It's quite far away from the town centre,” concluded the mayor. “I think the Soldos bought the house some 20 years ago. The house is in the process of being legalised," he added.

More Medjugorje news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Pope Francis has allowed pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Msgr. Henryk Hoser announced on Sunday at a mass held in Medjugorje together with the Apostolic Nuncio in Bosnia and Herzegovina Msgr. Luigi Pezutto, reports 24sata.hr on May 13, 2019.

“Pope Francis has determined that it is possible to organise pilgrimages in Medjugorje, always making sure that they are not interpreted as recognition of well-known events that still require further examination by the church, i.e. they should not create in any way ambiguousness in the doctrinal sense. The same criterion will be applied to the shepherds of every rank and degree who wish to go to Medjugorje and celebrate in a solemn way,” announced the church.

Translated into a more comprehensible language – the faithful are now officially allowed to make pilgrimages, but this does not mean that the church officially recognises the alleged apparitions and testimonies of the so-called “visionaries,” which the church is still investigating.

According to theologian Anna Maria Gruenfelder, this means that believers must come with the proper purpose. “This means that people should come to worship God, without coming to Medjugorje as an acknowledged sanctuary because it is not. This is actually a concession by Pope to the great number of believers coming there,” said the theologian.

This decision by Pope Francis does not actually change anything, says sociologist of religion Ivica Maštruko. Everything will stay as before. “The only thing that has changed is that now parishes, dioceses and Catholic associations may organise pilgrimages to Medjugorje, which has not been allowed so far because it was not an officially recognised sanctuary. The pilgrimages have hitherto been made exclusively as a private affair. Nothing changes. A large number of believers used to come and will continue to come to Medjugorje,” said Maštruko, while Gruenfelder added that the Vatican would continue to monitor that pilgrimages are not exploited for economic benefit.

Translated from 24sata.hr (reported by Ivan Pavić).

More Medjugorje news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

On Easter in 1994, a believer from the United States, Susan Tassone, claims to have had a miraculous healing experience in Medjugorje, reports 24sata.hr on April 21, 2019.

“In 1983, I had a serious traffic accident. I was crossing a street in Chicago when I was hit by a car. The strike was so powerful that it threw me under the car, which hit me again and left a large wound on my leg. I could not travel anywhere. When I told a doctor that I wanted to go on a pilgrimage, I was surprised by his answer: “I think you should leave. Come back in ten days. Be careful.”

A year later, she made a decision to travel to Medjugorje. “I got healed at Križevac. The wounds were no longer on my leg. After I got back home, the doctor examined me and said: ‘Your leg is completely healthy. It is a miracle!’ Tassone recalled, convinced that the Lord had healed her. She submitted her medical documentation to the Medjugorje parish in 1998.

Susan Tassone has published a number of religious books and is active in spreading God's word. With her books, interviews and guest appearances in various TV shows and at religious events, she has provided hope to believers across the United States.

Another Easter miracle in Medjugorje occurred to Damir Ćorić. He was severely ill, underwent five surgeries due to hydrocephalus, the brain enlargement syndrome, which cause enlargement of the head and brain atrophy.

“The long and difficult illness started on March 21, 1980. That was the first time I was examined in Mostar after symptoms that were characterised by weakness in my legs. They moved me from Mostar to Zagreb, where I was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. After the final operation, they sent me home, believing they could no longer help me. I was feeling worse and worse,” said Damir Ćorić.

“In July 1981, my family drove me to Medjugorje. Then my family began to pray. Three weeks later, they took me back to Medjugorje, in the church, where visionary Vicka prayer over me. At that moment, I felt like a force was entering into me. On my way home, I tried to explain to my mother what I experienced during the prayer. I was able to sit on the very next day and then I did my first steps. On Christmas, I started talking, and on next Easter, I was completely recovered,” he said.

In October 1983, he got a job at a factory in Mostar. After a medical examination on January 17, 1984, Damir was proclaimed healthy and capable of work. On the insistence of physicians studying the case, Damir underwent a CT brain scan in 1988 and was additionally examined by a neurologist and a neurosurgeon. Both CT and two specialist examinations confirmed the patient's health.

Translated from 24sata.hr (reported by Ira Kralj).

More Medjugorje news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Apostolic Visitor Henryk Hoser speaks about Medjugorje.

The non-credible apparitions of the "Medjugorje phenomenon" include those in the first seven or ten days of 1981, say the Mostar-Duvno Diocese.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser is getting ready to start his mission in Medjugorje.

The move demonstrates a changing attitude towards Medjugorje.

The first task will be to improve the pastoral care.