Fr. Bong Tupino to Lead the Pilgrimage Tour to the Adriatic Coast with Medjugorje
Christ the King Parish is inviting its parishioners and regular mass goers to a Marian Pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina to visit the Mary Queen of Peace Shrine. Although Medjugorje and Mostar, the Bosnia- Herzegovina capital, are the primary destinations, the pilgrimage includes visits to other shrines of Our Lady in Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. The pilgrimage is from April 14 to 28, 2018 and the Pilgrimage Chaplain is CTK’s own Fr. Bong Tupino. The religious tour is organized by Journeys of Faith, a regular partner for pilgrimage tours with the Diocese of Cubao.
The tour departs Manila in the evening of April 14 and begins in Graz, Austria the following day, for the Basilica Mariatrost, then crosses over to Slovenia. First stop in Slovenia is Maribor, then to Lake Bled with its Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church in the middle of the lake, then on to the capital Ljubljana. Spend three days in charming Ljubljana, including Skocjan Caves and the National Shrine of the Holy Mother in Marija Bistrica.
From there, the tour crosses over to Croatia, with the capital Zagreb as the first stop. Then visit Plitvice National Park, then on to Zadar. The next day, travel to Split on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, and visit the ancient Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian.
The tour then crosses into Bosnia- Herzegovina, with Medjugorje as Qirst stop. The pilgrims celebrate Sunday mass and do a private tour to learn more about the apparitions and messages of Our Lady which began in 1981. Then depart for the capital Sarajevo. The next day, cross back into Croatia for Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most prominent destinations on the Adriatic Sea. On April 27, take the evening flight back to Manila.
The Medjugorje Apparition
Medjugorje, the most important pilgrimage stop, has been an unofQicial place of Catholic pilgrimage since the Virgin Mary appeared to six children – Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka – on Apparition Hill, or Podbrdo, on June 24,1981. The visionaries often refer to the apparition as the ‘Gospa’, which is Croatian for ‘Lady’. There is a ‘Queen of Peace’ statue marking the site of the Qirst apparition and one in front of the St. James Church. A concrete cross tops Cross Mountain, to the south. Since the appari t ions began in 1981, approximately 40 million people of all faiths, from all over the world, have visited Medjugorje and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Many bring back stories of deep conversions back to God. The messages attributed to Our Lady of Medjugorje have a strong following among Catholics worldwide, with Medjugorje turning into Europe’s third most important apparition site. The six children, now all middle-aged adults, allege to continue to see the apparitions and receive messages from Our Lady on a daily basis since 1981.
The Church’s Stand
The apparition has been investigated by the Yugoslav bishops since the mid 80s and under Vatican study since 2010. Unlike Fatima, Portugal or Lourdes, France, the Medjugorge phenomenon has never been declared authentic, in part because the local bishops have long cast doubt on the reliability and interests of the visionaries. While no ‘official’ pilgrimages can be endorsed or organized until a final decision has been reached, private pilgrimages are accepted and encouraged by many clergy, including by Pope John Paul II.
Pope Francis has effectively dismissed reports of the continuing apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the Medjugorje shrine in southern Bosnia, based on the 2014 Vatican report that cast doubt on the ongoing visions. Francis emphasized that the key to the Vatican investigation is to distinguish between the original visions during the seven days in 1981, which is meriting serious consideration for approval as a pontifical sanctuary by the Church, and the current doubtful claims of continuing daily apparitions and messages. But he said it is undeniable that people go to Medjugorje and are converted from sin. He said: “People find God and change their life. You can’t deny this spiritual and pastoral fact.” The last official word was in August 2017 by the Papal Envoy to Medjugorje, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who said, ‘In any event, this movement will not stop and should not be stopped, because of the good fruit that grows out of it. It is one of the most alive places of prayer and conversion in Europe – and has a healthy spirituality.’
Other Pilgrimage Tours with Fr. Bong
Fr. Bong Tupino will also be Pilgrimage Chaplain for two other pilgrimage tours this year. The first is the ‘Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe With the Colors and Spices of Mexico’, scheduled from August 22 to September 2. The other is ‘Christmas in Bethlehem’, scheduled for December, that will include Jordan and Egypt, aside from Israel.
