Our Lady's Messages

A Brief History of the Messages

Since June 24, 1981, the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, has been appearing in apparition at Medjugorje and giving verbal messages to six Croatian teenagers. The messages, while first directed to the visionaries and then the people of the village, are meant for all of the people of the world.

In the first 33 months of the apparitions, the messages served as “teaching” lessons and laying out the general purpose of the Blessed Virgin’s appearance in the village. “I have come to tell you God exists and that He loves you.” wthe first message she gave the children on June 25, 1981. Later, she said she would appear to each of them and over a period of time and give them ten special future event messages (referred by most followers of Medjugorje as secrets) that would have to do with major happenings in the world that would occur after her last apparition at Medjugorje.

Presently, three of the six visionaries have received all 10 secrets and no longer have daily apparitions. However, the Blessed Virgin promised that she would appear to those visionaries who have received all ten secrets at least one time each succeeding year.

Visionary Mirjana was the first to receive the tenth secret. Her daily apparitions ended Christmas day, 1982. The Virgin told her that she would appear to her annually on March 18, beginning in 1983. However, on March 2, 1987, the Blessed Virgin Mary began speaking to Mirjana by way of inner locution. Later, the locutions became apparitions again that were at first private for the visionary and her family, and later became public. Mirjana continues to see the Blessed Virgin now on the second day of each month, an event that draws thousands each time it occurs.

Visionary Ivanka received the tenth secret on May 7, 1985; she now has her annual apparition on the anniversary day of the apparitions, June 25. Jakov was given the 10th secret on September 11, 1998 and has his annual apparition on Christmas Day, December 25.