Medjugorje is hosting Mladifest this week, the annual youth fest that brings together tens of thousands of people from around the world.
PAULINA
Young Mexican
It's a place where we share our faith. There's music, dancing, so much life. It's really an invitation to come together, share this experience and be the Church. The faith here is incredibly powerful.
This year's festival marks the 37th edition, following the several acts of vandalism committed on Tuesday, July 28th. The attacks targeted the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, along with sacred images at the Blue Cross.
The perpetrator even lit a fire at the outdoor parish dedicated to St. James the Apostle. But despite the vandalism, the festival went ahead under the theme “Ad Fontem! To the Source!” in reference to Christ.
At the opening Mass, Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, lamented the vandalism and urged people not to respond with hatred or revenge.
This year's program focused on testimonies, moments of worship, meditation, music, and a procession, which have gradually helped repair the damage caused by vandalism.
