Joe and Marie

We are coming probably 30-something times. We’ve lost count at this stage. Marie came first in 1986. We always went on holiday to Spain or Portugal, and all that, never the same place twice. Always went somewhere else the next year. Then when we came to Medjugorje, I never went anywhere after that. We just keep coming to Medjugorje all the time. Twice a year, for three or four weeks.

There’s just something special about it. The atmosphere. Our Lady is appearing here. There’s a natural draw. I was drawn here all the time. Our two grandchildren were here last week. Our oldest grandchild, that’s her 7th time here and the other for her 2nd time. We have two more coming for the Youth Festival this year, that’s there first time coming over.

I was coming here for a long time and still had my doubts about it because I am not one to jump in to something very quick and just believe. I have to sort of investigate it and make up my own mind, then when I did I couldn’t see any way that it was false.

There’s a police man friend here and what made him believe in Medjugorje was, he said if anything happened in England, he would bring all the young lads in and he would pick on the weakest or the youngest and he would always break and tell the story, say what really happened.

When he saw [visionary] Jacov, a 10 year old child knelt down on his knees going over to the church every night for three hours. It was impossible that they were telling lies. As a police man, his experience was there’s always one that would break. It’s impossible for 6 people to keep it up for 38 years you would just go mad. So that’s what convinced him.