Everything you need to know about the holy places of Medjugorje: what they are, why they matter and how best to visit them. Written by the local team who welcomes pilgrims here every day.
01The symbol and heart of the parish, dedicated to St. James, patron of pilgrims. The two-tower church was built between 1934 and 1969. Around it you'll find the outdoor altar (1989, about 5,000 seats), the Adoration Chapel, twenty confessionals, and the original spring-fed fountain to the left of the church.
02The hillside above Bijakovići where the six young visionaries first saw Our Lady on 24 June 1981. A stony path is lined with bronze reliefs of the mysteries of the Rosary, and a statue of the Queen of Peace and a cross mark the place of the first apparitions.
03The highest hill above the parish. In 1933 the villagers raised a great concrete cross on the summit to mark the 1900th anniversary of Christ's death. Bronze Stations of the Cross line the penitential climb, and many pilgrims find deep peace at the top.
04At the foot of Apparition Hill, the place where the visionaries met Our Lady in secret while hiding from the communist police. A quiet place for prayer, where Mirjana received apparitions on the 2nd of each month.
05A bronze sculpture of the Risen Christ behind St. James Church, from whose knee drops of water seep. Many pilgrims touch it in prayer or collect the drops on a small cloth.
06Fr. Slavko Barbarić, the beloved Franciscan who served pilgrims for many years and founded Mother's Village, rests in the Kovačica cemetery. Locals and pilgrims come here to pray, bring flowers and light candles.
07Founded by Fr. Slavko Barbarić to care for children who lost their homes and parents during and after the war. Today it is a peaceful village of homes, gardens and a small park.
08Founded in 1983 in Saluzzo, Italy, by Sr. Elvira Petrozzi, the Cenacolo helps young people recover from addiction through prayer, work and friendship. In Medjugorje the young men share powerful testimonies with pilgrims.
09A retreat house begun in 1999 by Patrick and Nancy Latta, offering free accommodation to visiting priests, religious, seminarians and young people on pilgrimage.
10A contemplative Marian community at the foot of Apparition Hill that keeps perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Its chapel welcomes pilgrims for silent prayer.
A local guide shares the story of the apparitions from the very beginning, what Our Lady teaches in her messages, and walks you through the main sites of the village.
Most popularOur most popular pilgrimage: open your heart in faith and gratitude at the shrines and churches of Medjugorje and the surrounding area.
Pray on the steps to Križevac, climb the stone path of Apparition Hill and live the daily prayer of St. James parish.
