Pilgrimages to Medjugorje

With new encouragement from the Vatican, a Bismarck couple will again lead a Medjugorje pilgrimage. It’s here where apparitions of Mary have been reported in Bosnia-Herzegovina for nearly 40 years.
 
Jon and Pam Kossan’s latest journey is slated for Oct. 7 -16.
 
In 1981, six youth, ranging between the ages 10 through 17, reported sightings of Mother Mary. Despite threats, intimidation and forced confinement by Communist officials, they refused to recant seeing the visions.
 
The Kossans have headed local pilgrimages to the site since 2012. Pam has visited more than 20 times in the past 17 years. Pam said it had always been a dream of her and her late son, Justin to take the pilgrimage together, but she lost Justin to suicide in 1997.
 
Yet, her hope to visit the Marian site never dimmed.
 
Pam first visited Medjugorje in 2003, but it proved rough. “The first five days there, I hated it. I don’t know if I was so fragile in my Catholic faith at that time.”
 
She tired at first of people telling her to go to Church. “On the fifth day, I climbed Cross Mountain. By the time I got to the top, I felt I could feel Justin, smell Justin. Justin was in Medjugorje with me. That was my turning point. I came down from Cross Mountain a different person than when I went up.”
 
Mary Mission
 
Pam said her devotion to Mary originated with her mom who always had a Rosary in hand. St. Bernadette’s story of the saint who encountered apparitions of Mary at Lourdes, France, inspired Pam and she longed to see Medjugorje.
 
Ironically, Pam notes, it was journalist and former Lutheran, Wayne Weible, who led her to make her first pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Weible spoke at Myrtle Beach about his efforts to disprove the apparitions as fake. However, the skeptical reporter increasingly found himself drawn closer and closer to the Virgin Mary and Jesus instead and proved a strong advocate, said Pam. His doubts dissolved, he converted to the Catholic faith and evangelized about Medjugorje until his death a couple of years ago. Weible was responsible for circulating a newsletter about Medjugorje. 
 
The Kossans, co-founders of Mary Mission in Uganda, credit networking with subscribers of Weible’s newsletter for a rapid early success of a school, donation drives, immunizations, clothing drive, a program for women’s health products so girls can attend and receive religious education. School enrollment now exceeds 400 students and enrolled children are provided two meals daily, thanks to mission sponsors.
 
After reading Weible’s newsletter, Pam announced to Jon that she had to go to Uganda. She contacted Judith Weible, Wayne’s wife, and arrangements were made for her to join the next trip to Uganda. That opened the couple up to helping the 800 some orphans there who had few prospects, to facilitate the building of a school and other housing projects.
 
“It all started with our Medjugorje contacts. It has spread out more now. It brought in more people who were interested in helping the mission,” Jon said.
 
Pilgrimage experiences
 
Each person’s pilgrimage to Medjugorje is unique, said Pam. The Kossans downplay potential mystical parts of the journey. They focus instead on Mary’s message.
 
“It’s not about being in a room with somebody that says Mary is speaking to them. Medjugorje is about getting closer to Jesus. Mother Mary’s message day after day is ‘peace, pray, go to church, read the Bible, get closer to my Son and fast.’ There is never a message of ‘Go and see the visionaries.’”
 
She and Jon have chanced upon a few of the visionaries, even befriended one, but they keep true to Mary’s message.
 
The pilgrims’ itinerary consists of a trip to Apparition Hill where Mary reportedly first appeared to the children and climbing Cross Mountain where a large concrete cross was built by villagers during 1933. Pilgrims observe the stations of the cross while they climb Cross Mountain and ponder the mysteries of the rosary while climbing Apparition Hill, according to Pam.
 
Medjugorje is called the confessional of the world with 35 outdoor confessionals, she explained. Much time is also spent at the Adoration Chapel at St. James Church.
 
“If you want a long time for prayer, you can have it. If you want a huge group prayer time, you can have it,” she noted.
 
The St. James Church in Medjugorje is similar in size to Bismarck’s St. Mary’s, but multiple benches and microphones have been installed outside so people can hear Mass outside its walls.
 
Pam describes Adoration in Medjugorje as beautiful. “You can see 30 to 40 priests. You are on such a high when you leave Adoration, there is no way you can sleep. You are so hyper. You are so filled.”
 
Jon said he has not experienced any miracles himself there, but has heard some outstanding shares from other pilgrims. “Some people had tears running down their cheeks as they were telling their experiences.”
 
Credible people have found the silver chains on their rosaries have turned to gold. Others have said they smell roses, a sign Mary is present, according to Pam.
 
Going together
 
Pam said the pilgrimages have brought about changes for her and her husband—some big and some more subtle. “He goes to Church. We never prayed before we had a meal. We never prayed a rosary together. Now, we don’t sit down at a table without praying,” said Pam. “I think when families are together, it’s a huge deal. We did not do that before Medjugorje.”
 
“It’s a lifestyle change,” Jon said modestly, explaining he had bad experiences at a parochial school. “Then I met Pam.” He credits now-retired diocesan priest, Fr. Charlie Heidt for helping him return to church.
 
For five years, Pam first made the pilgrimages solo with other Bismarck leaders and a Minnesota group without Jon. She often asked him to go. One Christmas Jon surprised her with a large wrapped package. Inside, the box she found a scrawled note that read: “Dear Pammie Jane, I will go with you to Bosnia in 2009.”
 
“I just bawled,” recalled Pam, who has framed the memo as a treasured keepsake.
 
Leading the group
 
Then, the Kossans hit a new snag. At one point, leadership of the U.S. bishops issued a statement discouraging the pilgrimages over questions of the visions’ validity. The Nuncio, at that time declared that priests could not lead trips to Medjugorje and that bishops should discourage the pilgrimages. 
 
Still, Bishop Kagan gave permission for Fr. Fred Harvey and Fr. Corey Nelson to come as spiritual leaders, but not lead the group.
 
“We never go to Medjugorje without a priest because too many spiritual changes happen within you,” noted Pam.
 
Local pilgrim numbers fell after the proclamation from U.S. bishops –from 50 to 16 per year. The Kossans continued to lead the pilgrimages over the coming years. Pam said they see their roles as vessels to get people there.
 
New determination
 
Yet, in a pivotal declaration on May 12, 2019, Pope Francis encouraged the bishops and priests to go to Medjugorje and urged pilgrims to journey there.
 
“Nothing has been verified on the authenticity of the visionaries,” clarified Pam, “but what has been determined is that many good fruits have been coming from Medjugorje—the conversions, Catholics that have fallen away from the Church for years are coming back to the Church because of their experiences in Medjugorje.”
 
Unfairness
 
Reaching the site is much easier for pilgrims than when the region was ruled by Communist regimes nearly 40 years ago, said Pam, but the local faithful have experienced their share of obstacles that continue even today.
 
The Kossan’s local guide to the site, Matt and his family, pay more for electricity than non-Catholics, according to Pam. His family runs a bed and breakfast near their home for the pilgrims. Matt tells in previous decades he was punished because he wore a cross and Matt’s father was tortured once for not denouncing his Catholic faith.
 
Skeptics
 
Pam defends against skeptics. “Mary picks, what we would call, ordinary people. In 1981, they (the children) were under Communist rule. All they knew is they were able to go to Mass once per week at St. James.”
 
She repeats the messages from the Mother Mary are simple: “Pray. Say the rosary. The rosary will stop wars. The rosary will stop epidemics. The rosary will stop many evil things. Peace, pray, love, go to Church.”
 
Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple said they will just pray on it and trust God. “I truly believe anybody who is supposed to be in Medjugorje is going to be there,” said Pam.
 
October pilgrimage
 
The public is invited to a pilgrimage with the Kossans on Oct. 7-16. The price of $2,680 per person out of Bismarck is all inclusive for eight nights in Medjugorje, transfers, tips and airport taxes. Father Paul Eberle will be the spiritual director. A $500 deposit is required with registration and is non-refundable after July 15. For information, contact the Kossans at 701-530-9310 or [email protected] and www.marymission.com.