by Cory Cruz
Staff Writer
A beautiful young woman with light blue eyes, curly black hair and wearing a long, silver-gray dress with a white veil was the vision reportedly seen by teenagers on a hill in a remote village area called Medjugorje, in communist-controlled Yugoslavia, on June 24, 1981.
Since then, the six young people have returned to share and pray with the apparition more than 3,000 times. They say that she has identified herself as the blessed Virgin Mary and as the Queen of Peace.
According to general estimates, over 15 million pilgrims have traveled to Medjugorje since June 1981. University of La Verne seniors Margaret and Michelle Pulver are planning to take a trip with their parents to Medjugorje for a week, after they graduate.
“I went to Catholic school for 12 years and I think it would be a very uplifting and interesting trip to see where this is taking place,” said Michelle Pulver. “I was taught to have faith in my religion. I feel this is a total miracle and I want to be a part of it.”
In a country where there has been turmoil for centuries, residents and visiting worshippers constantly make journeys from all over the world to come see what their faith tells them to believe.
Even though there is hostile fighting just 100 miles away in neighboring Bosnia, there have been no reports of bombing or deaths caused by the fighting in Medjugorje.
“I know that we would be close to the fighting, but I feel that this is such a holy place that God would not let anything bad happen to those who go there to worship,” said Margaret Pulver. “This is something I am looking forward to sharing with my mom, dad and sister. I know that making this journey will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The first apparition of Mary in Medjugorje is said to have occurred on the feast of John the Baptist. Mary asked that the next day she appeared, June 25, 1981, be remembered as a Medjugorje anniversary date and celebrated as a feast of the Queen of Peace. That was the day that the teenagers first reported seeing the vision.
According to the six young people, one of the many memorable messages shared was when a tearful Mary appeared and exclaimed, “Peace, peace, peace! Be reconciled! Make your peace with God and among yourselves.”
