Erin

In 2010, I came to Medjugorje. It was just a very profound experience. I didn’t know what to expect. I came with an open mind, without any expectations and I was just blown away.

We had 4 Legionary Priests that were just incredible. I did a general confession which lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes and the priest just cried with me; was so patient and loving. I was so scared before, then he turned to me and was like, “Why? Why would you be scared?” and my heart melted in that moment.

My whole life changed. I knew one life before coming here – I am going to start crying now – and it was the most beautiful transformation. This joy filled my heart that was not of Earth; it came from somewhere else and life made sense. I never wanted to go back to the way I was. I never wanted that feeling of joy to leave my soul. It was just beautiful, it was like God and the Blessed Mother came into me, came into my soul and woke me from my slumber. 

I remember going home on the airplane and I sat next to someone that was an atheist and we just started this dialogue and he asked me about Medjugorje and he said, “Well, did you see the Blessed Mother?” and I said, “Well, I didn’t physically see Her with my eyes, but I felt Her in my heart.” I truly did feel Her in my heart so strongly. As soon as I told him that, I could feel Her in my heart. That was special. That was the first time I felt like I was evangelizing something.

One of the priests that was in our group had mentioned that first time, that it was like a lamp that burns oil and after it burns for awhile it starts to diminish, oil kind of lessens and you just have to keep refilling that oil. And that’s what coming back to Medjugorje does, it kind of helps refill your oil. And I kind of looked at it the same way because by the end of that year, I just longed for Medjugorje so much. I longed to come back and thankfully I was able to come back. And Shawn [my husband] supported me in that.