Medjugorje Pilgrimage 2021 (Part 2)

I have history with Medjugorje. My parents went there in the 80’s to see what was happening. For them, it was a side trip from visiting Rome. During the time my parents were in Medjugorje, they were very transformed from nominal Sunday Catholics to living the Gospel in everyday life!

Next my older brother went. He witnessed many miracles and it changed him in a very extraordinary way. He also began to live according to the Gospels.

My husband and I went in 1995. It was there that I experienced Heaven on earth! There was so much peace and joy!! I was introduced to our Blessed Mother whom I really had never known. When my husband passed away in 2011, I felt a calling to share my home and resources with 2 children through adoption. They both came to me at an older age and did not believe in God, or Jesus! “Jesus is like Santa Claus; not really real,” I heard. The next 8 years, the two children spent learning about God, Jesus and the Bible in their Christian school. Still, I knew they did not own it as their own.

Taking the children to Medjugorje was my “Pearl of Great Price.” The trip came at great cost financially. Neither of my children wanted to come. “I do not want to go on that dumb church trip,” was what I was told. But I knew, as a parent, that a faith life and introducing them to their “perfect” mother would be a gift that would last their lifetime, long after I am gone! Well, my kids were filled with peace and joy!! Rose was asked if she wanted to be baptized! Her, “sure!!” about knocked me off my feet! The whole week, she was bubbling over with happiness and this has not stopped since we’ve been home. She was given the gift of carrying the flag of China, her native land, when it was time for the parade  of countries. This was a huge honor for her! She and my son attended English mass with me, but did not attend the outdoor evening program.

I knew they were overwhelmed by the more than 50,000 young people in attendance, so I did not push. Both kids received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that filled the entire town with so much peace and joy!! I knew that it was a taste of Heaven to feel this in our souls!

The trip for me was hard. I am older. My knees were swollen, the heat was hard to bear. But none of that stopped the peace and joy from overflowing to everyone around us. We had a very beautiful pilgrimage group to travel with and Fr Peter was our extraordinary spiritual director.

The trip was truly blessed! I feel it is important that I try to get other young people to the Youth Festival in the future! My kids would both love to go back. My son is 16 and much quieter about what he felt interiorly. My daughter, at 21, could not keep any of the Holy Spirit from bubbling forth from her. Thank you for this opportunity to share!

– Linda Snyder, Tacoma Washington