By LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES
NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts — Climbing Podbrdo Hill in Medugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 1981, six young people — Vicka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic, Ivan Dragicevic, Mirjana Dragicevic, Ivanka Ivankovic and Jakov Colo — said they saw the apparition of a beautiful young woman with blue eyes, dark hair and rosy cheeks, floating off the ground in a gray dress with white veil.
"Praise be to Jesus," she told them. "I am the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have chosen this place specially, because there are many faithful believers here. I wish to be with you to convert and reconcile the whole world."
One of the visionaries, Ivan Dragicevic, will speak at St. Anthony of Padua Church at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5.
Beginning with the recitation of the Rosary, there will be a period of silence at 6:40 p.m., followed by Holy Mass at 7 p.m. and witness by Dragicevic and Artie Boyle.
Of the six visionaries, three have daily apparitions, including Dragicevic.
"It's my wish that many people can come to this beautiful night of prayer and Holy Mass," said the Rev. Edward Murphy, pastor of St. Anthony's.
In 2009, Cardinal Christopher Schonborn, the archbishop of Vienna and member of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, told the thousands of pilgrims at St. James Church that "we have all come to Medugorje to be especially close to the mother of the Lord."
"Some of the leading cardinals have said that the seminaries would be empty today without the men who got their vocations from Medugorje," said Murphy. "I personally can testify to that."
Twenty-two years ago, Murphy went to Medugorje to discern his future. When he returned home, he applied to the seminary and within six months was studying for the priesthood.
"I entered the seminary through the intercession of the Blessed Mother," he said. "I try to go to Medugorje every year."
Ordained as a deacon at St. Anthony's and as a priest in St. Mary's Cathedral in 1998, he spent six years at Holy Name Church in Fall River and the last nine years in the chaplaincy at Morton Hospital in Taunton.
Assigned as pastor of St. Anthony's in May, Murphy received the call from Bishop George Coleman while he was on pilgrimage in Medjugorje.
"Eleven years ago I was at Holy Name Church when Ivan Dragicevic was invited to our parish, and he willingly came," said Murphy. "The church holds 700, and 1,400 people were present. There were many great healings that night. People still come up to me and tell me about the graces they received that night."
According to Murphy, the main message of Medugorje is that God exists.
"Today most people in New Bedford believe in the Lord Jesus, but many have come to live without Him," he said. "Before people go to Medugorje, they know God existed, but after Medugorje they really know He exists."
Pope John Paul II said that Medugorje is a continuation of Fatima.
"The world has lost its sense of the supernatural," the late pope said. "It will find it again in Medjugorje through prayer, fasting, and sacramental penance."
Murphy told his own story at St. James Church in Medugorje. An Irish man who was there at the time told him that he also thought he had a vocation. Three years later Murphy went to the Capuchin priest's ordination in Dublin.
Offering Confession to thousands of pilgrims at St. James Church became an enormous problem for the priests.
"They had to build new confessionals out in the open, the only place I know of in the open air," he said. "They are heated in the winter and air conditioned in summer. You see people from all over the world speaking all different languages waiting for hours to make their confessions. I have also witnessed 10,000 people at Holy Hour."
Murphy hopes to serve as the spiritual director for a group leaving from our area next May.
"Our Lady is drawing all people to her Son," said Murphy. "St. Louis de Montfort would say that there are many roads to Heaven, and the surest and easiest way is through the intercession of the Blessed Mother."
The messages given to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, France, in 1858 are difficult to comprehend, as well as those at Fatima, Portugal in 1917.
"Those three young children did tremendous sacrifice after seeing the Mother of God," Murphy said.
Conversely, he said that the message of Our Lady Queen of Peace given once a month on the 25th of the month for the world is not complicated nor harsh.
"Today I call you to accept and live my messages with seriousness," said Mary to Visionary Marija Pavlovic on Jan. 25, 1993. "These days are days when you need to decide for God, for peace and for good. May every hatred and jealousy disappear from your thoughts, and may there only dwell love for God and for your neighbor. Thus, only thus, shall you be able to discern the signs of this time. I am with you, and I guide you into a new time, a time which God gives you as grace, so that you may get to know Him more."
