From August 22 to 25, 2023, two Medjugorje prayer meetings for peace in Ukraine took place; two tender hugs full of love from the Heavenly Mother of all Ukraine.
We set out to attend these meetings from Medjugorje on Tuesday, August 22, on the memorial day of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at 2:00 a.m. in the presence of: parish priest Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić, Nancy and Patrik Latta, Terézia Gažiová and members of the Svjetlo Marijino community.
In the evening of the same day, the first prayer meeting was held in the Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery in Solonka near Lviv. After the testimonies, the prayer of the Rosary and the Holy Mass was celebrated by the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Lviv, Edward Kawa, followed by the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Words were heard from all sides: “Now, not only spiritually, but also physically, Medjugorje has come to us.”
The second prayer meeting was held on the Independence Day of Ukraine, August 24, in Pidhirci, a famous Greek Catholic Marian shrine. The meeting started at 9 am and lasted until 8 pm!
It was a special day of grace filled with prayer of the Rosary on the knees, celebration of the liturgy, Adoration and song. The whole day there were holy confessions, spiritual conversations, socializing and different encounters… Apart from a one-hour break for lunch, we prayed and listened to Fr. Zvonimir’s catechesis and testimonies.
About 5 thousand people attended the meeting. They were mostly women and children: mothers of killed veterans, widows, mothers and wives of those in captivity and their children. The entire program was broadcast live throughout Ukraine, and screens were placed around the church for the large number of people gathered.
The great joy of the crowd was that they could see their dear “Medjugorje residents” on Ukrainian soil because they came together with us to pray for our people and homeland, for the end of the war, for all the suffering, wounded and bereaved. A special prayer was made for the soldiers: that the heavenly Mother would touch each of them through the prayers of the faithful. We also prayed for the missing, the wounded, those in the trenches, in captivity, so that every heart would feel the warmth of the motherly Heart of the Virgin Mary and her embrace.
During the sacraments of confession, liturgy, Adoration, prayer of the Rosary and during the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, everyone could open their heart and surrender their pains, tears and wounds to God’s love in order to be healed and comforted.
In Holy Communion, Jesus Himself came to us in the hands of His blessed priest sons. In his homily, Fr. Zvonimir emphasized that it is important to understand that we are not alone and that God is with us. The love and warmth felt cannot be described in words. Every testimony, every catechesis was like a pearl, like a balm that healed and dressed the wounds.
Many who were present said that during the meeting they felt the presence of the Mother of God as if they were in Medjugorje, her tenderness and compassion. It is impossible that the prayer of so many people for the gift of God’s love and peace will not be answered…
This second prayer meeting ended with the Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. At 19:40 Ukrainian time, we knelt in silence and at the moment of the apparition of the Mother of God in Medjugorje, we surrendered Ukraine to her Immaculate Heart with the faith that the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary will reign in this country.
We thank everyone who helped us by praying for us and this mission during those grace filled days.
Written by: Veronika and Tanja from Svjetlo Marijino community
