SEERS: Ivanka Ivankovic, Mirjana Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, Ivan Ivankovic and Milka Pavlovic.

LOCATION: Medjugorje, Yugoslavia. (now within the Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

(According to Msgr. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkanj, “They have had “visions” in Mostar, and earlier in Sarajevo, Visoko and Dubrovnik.”)

YEARS: June 24, 1981 to present

SYNOPSIS: On June 24, 1981, six children in the town of Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, began to experience phenomena which they alleged to be apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This alleged apparition had a message of peace for the world, as well as a call to conversion, prayer and fasting. It also entrusted to the children secret messages about events to be fulfilled in the future. The apparitions themselves have continued almost daily since 1981, with some of the now young adults continuing to experience them regularly (those who have not yet received all the secrets intended for them) and others not.

The following is a list of correspondence that took place regarding Medjugorje:

On December 13, 1981, only 6 months after the alleged apparitions, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar, wrote regarding the attitude toward the events in Medjugorje. The Bishop’s Office expressed its desire, and even demanded, that the propaganda stop because of the disobedience of the pastoral personnel and the “visionaries.” This was a futile attempt.



On April 12, 1983, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar wrote a letter to the parish priest, indicating that instructions are to be followed. Again, the Bishop’s Office expressed its desire, and even demanded, that the propaganda stop because of the disobedience of the pastoral personnel and the “visionaries.” Once more, this was a futile attempt.

On March 31, 1983, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar wrote invitations for a meeting.

On September 27, 1983, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar wrote another invitations for a meeting.

On July 19, 1984, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar, wrote another invitations for a meeting. The purpose of the three previously mentioned meetings was to allow the Bishop to exercise his pastoral authority by demanding that the propaganda stop because of the disobedience of the pastoral personnel and the “visionaries.” These meetings also proved futile.

On October 31, 1984, at a meeting held in the Chancery Office in Mostar, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar, demanded that Medjugorje’s occurrences “be toned down and eliminated little by little.

On March 25, 1985, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar, wrote to Rev. Tomislav Pervan, OFM, parish priest at St. James parish in Medjugorje. This letter makes reference to the priests of the parish contravening the previous instructions of the Bishop.

On January 9, 1987, the Episcopal Conference established a commission to continue the investigation of the events at Medjugorje. At this time, it was determined that while awaiting the results of the commission’s investigation and the Church’s judgement, pastors and faithful should observe an attitude of prudence customary in such situations. Therefore, it is not permissible to organize pilgrimages and other manifestations motivated by the supernatural character attributed to the events of Medjugorje. Legitimate devotion to Our Lady, recommended by the Church, must conform to the directives of the Magisterium and especially to those contained in the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus of 2 February 1974 (cf. AAS, 66, 1974, pp. 113-168).

On July 24, 1987, in a sermon delivered at St. James Church in Medjugorje, the Most Rev. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar stated:

“In this diocese, by divine decree, I am the shepherd, teacher of faith, and judge in the matters of faith. Since Medjugorje’s events have created tension and division within the Church (some believe in it, some do not), and have evaded Church control, since the recommendations and decisions of the said authorities such as the Commission, the Congregation, and the Bishops’ Conference have been ineffective, I, the Ordinary of Mostar, responsible before God for the discipline in the diocese, repeat and sanction former decisions of the ecclesiastical authorities. I do forbid the priests who organize pilgrimages or come here ascribing a supernatural character to these events, to celebrate Mass in the territory of my diocese, and this until the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference ends its inquiry.”



On July 11, 1988, on the subject of Fr. Tomislav Vlasic, OFM, the long-time advisor to the “seers”, Marija Pavlovic provided a letter that was published in the November 1988 Issue of Fidelity. This letter pertains to Fr. Vlasic’s attempt to form a co-ed religious community in a house in Italy. The following is quoted from Marija’s letter:

“Now I declare that I have never asked the Madonna for any approval for this undertaking begun by Father Tomislav V. and Agnes Heupel. I have never explicitly petitioned the Madonna concerning whether I should participate in this undertaking and I have never received from the Madonna any instructions regarding this group, except that each one of us should remain free in choosing his own way of life. From the text and testimonies which bear my signature it follows that the Madonna communicated to me that the community and the program of Father Tomislav V. and Agnes Heupel are the way God intended for me and the rest of us. Now I repeat that I have never received from the Madonna, nor have I given to Father Tomislav V., not to any other individual, any such approval or instructions from the Madonna. My first declaration, as published in Croatian and Italian, does not correspond to the truth. I personally had no desire to give any sort of written declaration. Father Tomislav V. kept suggesting to me, stressing over and over again, that I as a seer should write the declaration which the world was waiting for. I also have to say that the contents of “My Declaration” as it presented bearing my signature pose some questions. For the time being, I can give this unequivocal answer, which I do before God, the Madonna, and the Church of Jesus Christ: “Anything in my statement which might be construed as the Madonna’s approval of the undertaking of Father Tomislav Vlasic and Agnes Heupel is absolutely not in conformity with the truth, and in the same way, the idea that I had a spontaneous desire to write my declaration of April 1988 is also not in conformity with the truth.”

CONTINUED on part 2 –>https://sacredheartsoldier.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/the-real-history-of-the-visions-of-medjugorje-part-2/