Wayne Weible - Medjugorje: The Mission

Medjugorje A Shining Inspiration

Other titles available from Paraclete Press

WAYNE WEIBLE

To protect the privacy of some individuals involved, names have been changed in certain instances.

Messages and excerpts of messages at the beginning of each segment and chapter, or within the chapters, are taken from those reportedly given by the Blessed Virgin Mary to the visionaries at Medjugorje, over the past thirteen years.

The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Medjugorje, have not as of this writing been officially approved by the investigating commission established by the Roman Catholic Church. However, they have not been disapproved or censored, which would have been the case had anything contrary to Church doctrine or Holy Scripture been discovered in the thirteen years they have allegedly occurred. Because of the overwhelming number of pilgrims, it has been designated as an official Marian shrine. The author submits totally to the authority of the Church in its ultimate conclusion of these events.

Copyright 1994 by Wayne Weible. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means except by a newspaper or magazine reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Weible, Wayne.

Medjugorje the Mission/Wayne Weible.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-55725-127-4

1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, SaintApparitions and miraclesBosnia and HercegovinaMedjugorje. 2. Medjugorje (Bosnia and Hercegovina)Religious life and customs. 3. Christian pilgrims and pilgrimagesBosnia and HercegovinaMedjugorje. 4. Weible, Wayne. I. Title.

BT660.M44W46 1994

10 9 8

Printed in the United States of America at Paraclete Press.
Cover: Images PhotoDisc, Inc. 1994

I dedicate this book to all souls who
have heeded the call of return to the
Gospel message of Jesus, through
the apparitions of Our Lady
at Medjugorje, and have answered
with prayer, fasting and penance.

Also to my wife, Terri,
whose encouragement, assistance,
collaboration, persistence and
spiritual acceptance made possible
not just this book,
but the entire mission.

I met Wayne Weible at the first Medjugorje Peace conference, held at Notre Dame University, in 1988. I was curious to find out more about this Lutheran who had taken up the mission of spreading the Medjugorje message, giving up a lucrative business career to do so.

Having seen him on the national Sally Jessy Raphael television show, and being personally familiar with the tabloid containing his articles on Medjugorje, I was pleased to accompany friends to the airport at South Bend, to pick him up for the conference. I had been pronouncing Waynes last name, Weeble, but was immediately corrected, as he gently informed me the best way to remember the correct pronunciation was that it rhymed with Bible. It was the beginning of a long friendship.

Little did I know that one day, I would receive Wayne and his beautiful wife Terri into the Roman Catholic Church, at yet another Medjugorje conference, this one in New Orleans. Just prior to the ceremony, Archbishop Phillip Hannan asked who was to be his Godparent. Since I had not selected one, I was duly appointed as such by the Archbishop. Thus, Wayne is more than just a friendhe is my Godson!

In these past seven years, we have shared the stage at many conferences throughout the United States; and, we were able to be together for a special visit to Medjugorje with teenagers as our pilgrims.

There is little doubt in my heart that Wayne has been given a special mission, a mission which again, we both share: that is, to evangelize the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, which is at the heart of the messages being given at Medjugorje by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Father Kenneth J. Roberts

My angels, I send you my Son, Jesus, who was tortured for His faith and yet, He endured everything. You also, my angels, will endure everything....

Just another village among many scattered throughout the mountains and valleys of Yugoslavias republic of Bosnia-Hercegovina; that was Medjugorje. Small, rural and rather undistinguished except for its large, cement cross atop Krizevic Mountain overlooking the collection of little hamlets. For four decades, the 36-foot-high structure has served as a constant reminder to the predominantly Croatian villagers of their strong Catholic faith and its effect on the daily ebb and flow of life. This, in spite of living under the oppressive rule of atheistic Communism, in a government dominated by their ethnic enemy, Serbia. Still, for the most part, life was quiet and simple.

That changed suddenly on June 24, 1981.

On that day, several teenagers made the astonishing claim that they had seen an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, on the side of Podbrdo Hill near the Bethlehem-like hamlet. The weather-beaten cross would soon serve as a powerful symbol for this supernatural mystical phenomena that would draw millions of spiritually hungry souls from all corners of the earth.

It began as two girls, Ivanka Ivankovic, 16, and Mirjana Dragecevic, 15, set out for an early evening stroll after finishing family chores. Later, as clouds gathered threatening rain, the two friends started home, disappointed that a third companion, Vicka Ivankovic, 17, had not joined them. They had left a note at her home asking that she meet them beyond Podbrdo Hill.

As the two girls approached the edge of the village, Ivanka was startled suddenly by a brilliant flash of light halfway up the hill. She came to a sudden stop, and was astonished to see the image of a beautiful young woman in the light. Immediately she identified the image from her Catholic heritage: it was Gospathe Blessed Virgin Mary!

Ivanka began screaming for Mirjana to look up on the hill at the image. But she refused to look, thinking her friend was pulling a prank, which they regularly played on one another. Continuing toward the village, Mirjana scolded her friend playfully for trying to trick her.

Fixated by the dazzling beauty of the image, Ivanka seemed frozen in her tracks, before breaking into a run after Mirjana, who by this time had met up with another young girl on her way to get the family sheep. It didnt take long for them to see that Ivanka was serious; this was no prank. Quickly, they hurried to the spot, and now they too were able to see the vision in the brilliant light.

As the young girls stared at the image, she beckoned for them to come closer; no one moved. They were too frightened. Vicka, finally coming to join her two friends, turned and fled in fright when her friends shouted for her to come and see Gospa. She returned shortly with two boys whom she had met on the road and told what was happening near Podbrdo. As they joined the others, they also were able to see the image.