Olof – Stockholm, Sweden

I am studying in Stockholm to become an organist and a pianist. I also studied composition.

I’m almost finished, but this little trip interrupted it. 

I had an urge for exploration and freedom. When I undertook this journey, it was something I wanted, but still, I was scared. I prayed a lot, almost the entire journey. That really helped to keep the spirit up. Prayer helps. Keep hope up. It’s very important in every situation.

It was a very long journey. I took a ferry, bus, taxi, hitchhiked, walked, and a train. It was more like a real pilgrimage. It was really hard, but I also felt a lot of freedom and joy in my heart so that outweighed the negative. 

It was quite lonely and hard at times, when it was raining and the luggage was heavy. I had a lot of music notes and books with me. I had to leave some books on the way because it was too heavy. I left them on sign posts on the way to Medjugorje.

I came to Medjugorje to get out of conformity and grow spiritually and personally. When you’re here, you do that automatically. It’s like the Holy Spirit and Mary encourage you to really grow. You feel that you want to pray more, and you want to work on yourself. It’s amazing actually.

The overall experience of this place and the spiritual beauty of it, everything together makes things so much better, makes it holy. The Eucharist and the Holy Mass are the center of it. 

The music is beautiful, the Croatian songs. 

It’s obviously a very special place. To be honest, I think every Catholic should come here, or every Christian person at least once. It has become a really important pilgrimage.