April-Marie's Traveling Mary Pilgrimages
Events & Pilgrimages
WHY MEDJUGORJE
Medjugorje, where Heaven touches earth, and where the Blessed Mother has appeared daily since 1981 has become a place of renewal for many. She invites us to pray the rosary daily, fast on Wednesdays and Fridays on bread and water, Eucharist (Mass and Adoration), daily scripture, and confession. These constitute the 5 stones of Medjugorje which this pilgrimage hopes to encourage.
Whether you will experience our Lord and His Mother in the silence on Apparition Hill, Blue Cross or visiting St. James’ Church, where the Eucharist ever so speaks to our hearts; and even taking a spiritual hike up Cross Mountain, imagining Christ’s sacrifice, we are reminded that life does not end at the Crucifixion. We live in the hope that after the Crucifixion always comes the Resurrection. The soothing music of the rosary being recited in several languages gives the heart a sense of peace and a welcome feeling at home. The hospitality of the locals, despite their simplicity, only brings peace to the strangers looking for answers of God’s presence in a world where they may have lost it.
Medjugorje, the confessional of the world, brings more to the Sacrament of Reconciliation than any other. The emphasis on family prayer encourages and protects our children in a world that may have lost this very important foundation.
Join us with your children on a journey to experience peace, community and personal prayer, the Eucharist in a renewed way, and put your families back on a path to conversion. In addition to a short retreat to Croatia, we will experience the beauty of this rich culture while visiting the Tomb and incorrupt body of St Simeon of the Presentation of Jesus.
Many are called to religious life while on pilgrimage to Medjugorje. If the Lord has called you or your child, give them that gift of having an encounter with His Holy Mother in Medjugorje. This is a gift that keeps on giving.
Please see the ‘What’s included’ tab for schedule of events…
What is included ?
Day 1 – DEPARTURE – Flight to Split, Croatia
Departure from your local airport in the United States with final destination in Split, Croatia. (Airport Code SPU).
Day 2 – ARRIVAL IN MEDJUGORJE
- Arrival in Split, Croatia. All group members should land by 3pm to ensure on time travel to Medjugorje. Your package includes transportation to Medjugorje.
- We will be greeted by Julie Stojic, a senior licensed Medjugorje guide and cousin to one of the visionaries, Vicka.
- We then head for our final destination in Medjugorje, while enjoying the 2 hour ride through the spectacular countryside of Dalmatia.
- We will be lodged at Marinko which is only a 4 minute walk from Blue Cross and a 15 minute walk from Apparition Hill where our Lady first appeared to the children in June 1981.
- We will settle in and have our first dinner hosted by Ms Ines and Mr Dado, a phenomenal couple.
- After dinner, we will take a walk to Blue Cross and Apparition Hill (time permitting) to greet our Blessed Mother before retiring to bed and preparing for Day 2 of our pilgrimage.
Day 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – MEDJUGORJE PROGRAM
Over the next six days, Julie, our tour guide, will take us through various important sites beginning with an orientation walk through the Church of St. James and its grounds. She will share a story about Medjugorje as we also visit Fr Slavko’s grave and his significance in Medjugorje.
Other events include daily Holy Mass and confession, time spent visiting Blue Cross, Podbrdo also known as Apparition Hill, the site of the apparition of Our Lady, Cross Mountain (as we pray the way of the Cross), visiting the home where Vicka and her family grew up. The group will also listen to a talk given by Fr Leon, a Franciscan who is the chaplain for the pilgrims. We will also visit the church of the Immaculate conception in Tihaljina which houses the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Grace (as reported, closely resembles the virgin Mary seen by the visionaries in Medjugorje). Surmanci is included in our itinerary which houses the miraculous icon of Divine Mercy. As a bonus, we have included a trip and Day retreat to the country of Croatia o visit St Simeon’s church and tomb in Zadar, Croatia among other sacred moments.
If you are interested, you may also visit the Cenacolo community and walk through the fields as well as Mother’s Village on the outskirts of Bijakovici. These 2 sites are only a taxi cab away. There is also Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls, a great experience for everyone especially families with children. Our tour guide can plan for all those interested in visiting these sites. This is a wonderful way to create lasting memories and enriches your journey with moments of reflection, discovery, and peace.
The apparition takes place at 5:40pm in the winter, and at 6:40 pm during daylight saving time. Vicka, Ivan, and Marija continue to receive daily apparitions. Mirjana, Jakov, and Ivanka are the three visionaries who receive apparitions but once a year.
With that being said, we will attend an evening program which starts at 6pm with the rosary. It consists of praying the Rosary, Holy Mass, and Confession which are the center of the evening program at St. James Church. This is followed by participation in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Day 9 – FLIGHT BACK HOME
On Day 9, you will leave Medjugorje and head for Split airport. This will not be without one final early morning breakfast or breakfast box depending on the time of individual flights. It is cheaper to share taxi rides to the airport for members of the group whose flights are close together. We will have these discussions when we arrive so Julie is able to schedule rides for transfers to the airport paid for by pilgrims.
We are always ready to assist and can be reached at info@atm-travels.org or 804-350-1755. We look forward to experiencing this journey with you.