ALLOUEZ — A visit to Medjugorje will highlight an 11-day pilgrimage sponsored by On Mission, Sept. 2-12, 2024.
Medjugorje, a small village located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the site of a purported series of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six children in 1981. Apparitions are supposedly still happening to this day at the site, which is now known as Apparition Hill.
Fr. Matt Simonar, pastor at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Ashwaubenon, will serve as spiritual director for the On Mission trip, in cooperation with Mater Dei Tours.
Pilgrims will depart for Dubrovnik, Croatia, via Dublin, Ireland, on Monday, Sept. 2.
The following day, the group will attend Mass at the Church of St. Nicholas in Cavtat, Croatia.
After checking into their resort hotel in Milini, pilgrims will gather for a welcome dinner and enjoy rest and relaxation as they become acclimated to the Croatian time zone.
A walking tour of Dubrovnik is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4, and will include a stop at the Church of St. Blaise for Mass and the traditional blessing of throats.
Mass at the Church of St. Ignatius is on the docket for Sept. 5. Pilgrims will then use the Dubrovnik Cable Car for an excursion to Mount Srd, part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range. Mount Srd rises to a height of 1,352 feet, overlooking the picturesque Pearl of the Adriatic and Dalmatia coastline. The afternoon will provide site-seeing opportunities at Dubrovnik’s harbor.
On Friday, Sept. 6, pilgrims will travel into Bosnia to visit Kravice Falls, a natural waterfall site. The group will then make its way to Medjugorje. Lodging will be at Mirjana’s House, which belongs to one of the six Medjugorje visionaries.
The Medjugorje itinerary for the remainder of the pilgrimage will be determined near the arrival date due to weather variances and the shrine’s activity schedule. Places of visit may include Adoration Healing Prayers, Apparition Hill, Cross Mountain and Blue Cross.
A private Mass outside Medjugorje is planned for Sunday, Sept. 8, either at Tihaljina, which features a famous statue of Our Lady, Siroki Brijeg or at the Divine Mercy Chapel.
Private Masses are planned at sites each day for the remainder of the pilgrimage.
A visit to the Cenacolo Community House and a talk by Dominican Fr. Leon Pereira, chaplain to English-speaking Medjugorje pilgrims, are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Pilgrims will also have the opportunity to revisit favorite sites on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
The group will then depart for the coastal city of Neum, Bosnia, and later gather for a farewell dinner.
Pilgrims will begin their homebound journey in Dubrovnik on Thursday, Sept. 12.
Important to note: Connecting flights will be made in Dublin and will include U.S. Immigration and Customs, thus eliminating the need for customs in Chicago.
The 11-day trip includes round-trip air transportation from Chicago O’Hare to Dubrovnik; a private motorcoach with a professional driver in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina; lodging accommodations; 18 meals; admissions to tours and a local bilingual tour manager/guide.
The pilgrimage fee is $4,999 per person/double occupancy if registered by March 13. The fee is $5,099 after March 13. The registration deadline is May 3, but all spaces may be filled before that date, so pilgrims are encouraged to register early.
To register or for more information, visit Medjugorje 2024 Brochure (onmissionmedia.com).
