A group of around 60 people from Finland and Verona, Italy, arrived in Međjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 30, 2017. Our pilgrimage was arranged by Father Gianni Sgeva CP. One of the main reasons for the pilgrimage was the World Youth Festival, which takes place at Međjugorje on August 1-6. This year the theme of the Festival is That your love may grow more and more.
 | Young people from around the world are coming to Međjugorje for this global gathering. As Fr. Gianni said, each place that Our Lady has appeared is a blessing, yet more blessed is Međjugorje, since Our Mother is still appearing to the visionaries. A sign from each country is required at the festival, so the first evening we set up the Finnish flag and registered at the local parish for participation in the festival. It is quite possible that we are the first Finnish group to have taken part in this festival. We are about 25 people from the Finnish youth group. |
| On Monday morning, we climbed Apparition Hill with Fr. Gianni. While we were climbing, we prayed the Rosary. In Međjugorje, two rosaries are prayed every day: one before Mass and one after Mass. After breakfast, we heard the testimony of Malissa, who was on the edge of death in 2014. Her life changed totally after that experience. Love creates, love governs, all lives end in love, she said. |  |
We met lots of participants from Verona who helped us with our own Youth Festival at Stella Maris by providing food and money. After lunch, Father Leonard Wobilla also joined us.
 | Mass at Međjugorje is translated into more than 15 languages and aired by radio. It's hot here, but nothing can prevent us from getting closer to our Lord - something the priest celebrating Mass pointed out in his homily. The apparitions at Međjugorje have not yet been confirmed as authentic by the Holy Father. But regardless of that, it is always good to come together and share our faith, especially among young people. |
About the author
 | Yiran, or Maria Micaela. Born in China as a Protestant Christian but baptised in Spain (2015), being the only Catholic in the family. I came to Turku as an Erasmus exchange student and I stayed for my MSc studies. I'm also a participant of the Youth Weekends at Stella Maris. Cooking, running and photography are my hobbies. |
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