Pilgrim at St James Church, Medjugorje (Medugorje)
Bosnia and Herzegovina is renowned for its natural beauty and cultural heritage, music, architecture and festivals. It is a fascinating country to discover and a paradise for photographers. The country is home to 3 ethnic groups: Muslim Bosniaks which are the largest, Christian Orthodox Serbs second and Catholic Croats third. Wounds of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War remain visible in many places and peaceful multicultural cohabitation is still at risk. Međugorje (or Medjugorje), a town inhabited by over 4,000 Roman Catholic Croats, is located around 25 km southwest of Mostar. Since 1981, it has become a popular site of religious pilgrimage due to reports of apparitions of the Virgin Mary. "Our Lady of Medjugorje" is the title given to the apparition by those who believe that Mary, mother of Jesus, has been appearing from 24 June 1981 until today to six children, now adults, in Medjugorje. ]"Most Blessed Virgin Mary", "Queen of Peace" and "Mother of God" are words the apparition has introduced herself with. The messages attributed to Our Lady of Medjugorje have a strong following among Catholics worldwide. Medjugorje has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites for Catholics in the world and has turned into Europe's third most important apparition site, which more than 1 million people visit each year. It has been estimated that 30 million pilgrims have come to Medjugorje since the reputed apparitions began in 1981. Many have reported visual phenomena including the sun spinning in the sky or changing color and figures such as hearts and crosses around the sun. Some visitors have suffered eye damage while seeking to experience such phenomena.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Balkans, Europe
Photo credit: © François-Olivier Dommergues / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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