I’ve been to Medjugorje 20 times. This specific trip was special in the aspect that I just know that I’ve been dry, I guess you could say, in Our Mother’s touch that She has always put on me. And it’s like She’s saying, “I need you to come back over.”

So that’s why I came back over the 20th time. 

She calls you in such a subtle way, so nice. Really it’s an internal feeling that you can feel Her tug. It’s a very loving tug. It’s not a strong, strong tug because She wants you to make your decision to come with Her little added push, you could say.

I was 54 when I retired. When that happened to me, I had an internal calling about a year later when I was 55. I got a rosary because I hadn’t had a rosary for over 44 years.

My cousin and his wife were over here in ’92, and I asked my cousin, “Do you have a rosary or a Catholic gift store here?” 

They’d been praying for me for years. That’s the only ones that really were praying every day for me. That’s why I think Our Mother just kind of led me to them. 

It all started with the rosary. 

Prayer is a necessity. You have to pray. And if you pray, I guarantee you things will happen. I can promise you that. They will happen. You might not think so, but it will happen because that’s how Our Lord and Our Mother works, very, very silently. I call it baby steps. They can do leaps and bounds if they have to, but they like baby steps because they want to prepare you as you start your journey and go on.

Our Mother is here right with us at all times. You can feel the presence. That’s why it’s so holy here, because you can feel the presence. You talk about peace. No matter how hectic it goes on, with the gift shops and all that, there’s still that peace that’s here. And you can feel it because you’ve been called by your Mother to be here. 

I guess that’s why I’ve come 20 times. 

When you get here, you really, in a way, got an internal flame burning. It draws your heart up to where you want to be here because you can feel the peace and the joy.

No matter who they are, pilgrims are here from wherever, you’re all together as one, as a family. It’s amazing to watch how people can communicate with each other and can’t even speak the same language. Yet the love is there. You can feel the love.

Come to Medjugorje, and I guarantee you will not be sorry, but remember this, Our Mother calls you. Don’t think She’s going to knock you down or tap you on the shoulder. 

It’s going to be a soft, loving tone inside of you with a little nudge. When you feel that, you know who’s talking to you.