Many gather to hear the messages of Our Lady

Intermountain Catholic

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Igor Ivakovic (left) greets Ivan Dragicevic, along with his father Mirko, and mother Milena at a reception following Dragicevic's presentation at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish. They, too, are from Bosnia and are now members of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Salt Lake City. IC photo by Chris Young

WEST VALLEY CITY — "Open your hearts and ask Jesus anything, He knows us by name," said Father Javier Virgen to the visitors in the standing-room only chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Fr. Virgen is the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish.

Many came from all over the Salt Lake Valley and Park City Feb. 28, to hear Ivan Dragicevic, a Medjugorje visionary, give his testimony of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although the Catholic Church has not yet recognized the apparitions in Medjugorje, many came to his presentation out of their own devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

Dragicevic said he has daily apparitions of Mary at about 6:40 p.m., and said he had an apparition Feb. 28. As Dragicevic approached the altar to kneel before Our Blessed Mother, recitation of the rosary was halted, and there was silence. People began praying from their hearts to ask Mary to intercede for them to Jesus to grant the petitions they had written and placed on the altar.

The apparition was followed by the congregation praying the Magnificat and Mass. In his homily, Fr. Virgen said the Mass is the greatest praise of God because Jesus gives himself to us in the Mass.

Dragicevic lives in Boston from October to May while his two daughters and one son attend school. He returns to Medjugorje for the summer where his family runs a retreat house for pilgrimages. He gave his testimony through his interpreter, Lidia Kunza. Kunza met Dragicevic in Medjugorje, but she now lives in Los Angeles, Calif.

"I am happy to be here with all of you to share the good news of Our Mother," said Dragicevic. "This night is filled with grace. I feel like it is the Christmas midnight Mass with all these people here tonight. I believe that every priest would like to see the church this full every Sunday.

"Tonight we came to give our illnesses to Our Mother and to find security and protection with her," he said. "It has been 25 years since Our Lady first appeared in Medjugojre. In those 25 years, I have been given a lot of messages."

Dragicevic began by describing what happened in the small Bosnian village of Medjugorje when he was only 16 years old, and saw the first apparition of Our Lady June 24, 1981.

"I was only a child then, and very shy and introverted," said Dragicevic. "I was very close to my family. We were still living in a time of communism without freedom of speech or freedom of religion."

He said the day of the first apparition was the Feast of St. John the Baptist. That morning he wanted to sleep in, but his parents insisted he go to Mass. He said he only attended Mass with his body, not with his heart and soul. After Mass, he and his family went home for dinner. He ate quickly so he could go play soccer with his friends.

At 5 p.m., they walked to Dragicevic’s home to watch a basketball game on television. During half-time, they were on their way to his friend’s home for something to eat, when they heard three girls calling them to come and see Our Lady on the hillside. The girls were crying and pointing for us to look at the image of Our Lady. Dragicevic saw Our Lady and ran home scared without saying a word to anyone.

"It was a night of so much fear," he said. "I had never really had that much devotion to Our Lady and was afraid."

The next day the whole town knew what had happened. "My parents told me to be careful because they were afraid we would be put in jail," he said. "When we went to the hill, the Blessed Virgin was waiting for us, floating on a cloud holding the baby Jesus in her arms. We knelt down before her.

"Our Lady said, ‘Dear Children, I am with you, I am your mother, be not afraid,’" said Dragicevic. "She said she was coming because Jesus was sending her to bring peace to the world. She said, ‘Peace must reign between God and the people.’"

"Our Lady first message was that our world is in danger of destroying itself," he said. He then selected the most important messages she has given over the past 25 years. They are peace, conversion, to pray with your heart, reconciliation and penance, fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays, and to pray the all decades of the rosary every day.

"Mary knows our world is tired and busy, and she wants to console us, and guide us toward peace," said Dragicevic. "She said we are turning away from God. We need more prayer within our families because there are too many divorces, too much immorality, and too many abortions. We need to stop talking about peace and start living it, that way we can be spiritually healed.

"We say we have no time to pray, but she says time is not the problem because we find time for television and other things what we like," said Dragicevic. "She said we are in a spiritual coma. Her message tonight was a blessing for all of us, especially those who are sick."

Dragicevic said he still tries every day to avoid sin and evil and open himself to the graces of the Holy Spirit.

According to Deacon Rick Huffman, a collection of $500 was received for Ivan to assist him with his traveling expenses.