Caritas of Birmingham Announces the Re-Opening of Medjugorje Pilgrimages

News provided by

Caritas of Birmingham

Apr 07, 2022, 08:53 ET

STERRETT, Ala., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Terry Colafrancesco, President of Caritas of Birmingham announced on March 26, 2022, the re-opening of Caritas pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Medjugorje is the site of apparitions of the Virgin Mary to six young people.

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Photo of St. James Church in Medjugorje, taken by Terry Colafrancesco in 1996. Medjugorje is the famed site in present-day Bosnia-Hercegovina, where on June 24, 1981 six young people began having daily conversation with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparitions are on-going as of April 2022.
Photo of St. James Church in Medjugorje, taken by Terry Colafrancesco in 1996. Medjugorje is the famed site in present-day Bosnia-Hercegovina, where on June 24, 1981 six young people began having daily conversation with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparitions are on-going as of April 2022.
The valley at Caritas of Birmingham in Alabama, where Medjugorje visionary Marija has had over 200 apparitions. There are four locations of the apparitions at Caritas. The main apparition location is in the home of Terry and Annette Colafrancesco, where most of the apparitions and messages were given, and where over 100,000 people have prayed.
The valley at Caritas of Birmingham in Alabama, where Medjugorje visionary Marija has had over 200 apparitions. There are four locations of the apparitions at Caritas. The main apparition location is in the home of Terry and Annette Colafrancesco, where most of the apparitions and messages were given, and where over 100,000 people have prayed.

In June 1981, six youth testified that the Virgin Mary appeared to them and entrusted a message of peace for the whole world. The Virgin Mary told these young people that it was necessary to reconcile with God if man wanted peace.

Because of restrictions on international travel to Medjugorje due to the coronavirus, Terry recently went to Medjugorje to check for any roadblocks in bringing people back in numbers. After this test, which went smoothly, Terry announced during a radio broadcast:

"When I got here, I went and walked through the fields. Everything was dead – really dead. But you know what happened through that? It lives, Medjugorje lives. It's so beautiful. It's so quiet. It's like in the early days. It's so peaceful. I haven't seen this in 3+ decades. There's no car horns and all the distractions are not here. It's beautiful. Immediately I made a decision, we're going to start our [Medjugorje] pilgrimages back, when I get back home."

The date of the first Caritas pilgrimage to Medjugorje is scheduled for June 21-30, 2022.

There are two more Medjugorje pilgrimage dates being planned for 2022, which will be coming out in the next few weeks.

Medjugorje is in present-day Bosnia-Hercegovina and has been the destination for over 40 million people. Many of them, like Terry Colafrancesco, braved the former Communist regime to travel there.

Terry Colafrancesco started bringing Caritas pilgrimages to Medjugorje in 1986. This was considered instrumental in making pilgrimages to Medjugorje from the United States possible. Michael Murphy, Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, University of Alabama stated in 2001:

"As one of the first Medjugorje promoting groups formed in the United States, Caritas helped link Medjugorje and the United States…Caritas was instrumental in providing the infrastructure for pilgrimages to Medjugorje from the U.S."

In 1987, Terry brought producers from ABC 20/20 with a Caritas group to do a segment on Medjugorje which was titled, "A Journey to Faith."

In 1988, Terry brought actor Martin Sheen to Medjugorje with a Caritas of Birmingham pilgrimage group, to produce a documentary which was titled, "The Lasting Sign."

Terry's Caritas pilgrimage groups to Medjugorje have included noted people such as Tom Murphy, former owner of Cap Cities/ABC, and reporters for Life Magazine.

In 2005, Terry made history by organizing and accomplishing the very first chartered flight from the United States to Medjugorje. The flight which flew from Birmingham, Alabama to Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina, made headlines across the region.

The re-opening of pilgrimages to Medjugorje will add to the lineup of pilgrimages which Caritas of Birmingham offers, the most prominent recently being pilgrimages to Caritas in Alabama.

A Caritas member stated:

"When the village of Medjugorje closed in 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak, Terry offered pilgrimages here, in Alabama. Immediately, we saw how popular they were. In fact, many pilgrims through the years have fondly called Caritas of Birmingham, 'Medjabama' – meaning 'Medj'ugorje Ala'bama'"

Caritas of Birmingham, in Alabama, is the site of over 200 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Marija Pavlovic, visionary from Medjugorje.

The apparitions in Alabama first happened in November 1988, while Marija was staying in the home of Terry and Annette Colafrancesco, near Birmingham. The site of the Colafrancesco home became the location of present-day Caritas of Birmingham.

Terry Colafrancesco said that Caritas of Birmingham, "is not apart from Medjugorje, Caritas is a part of Medjugorje."

Both locations bring the Medjugorje experience.

For information about pilgrimages to Medjugorje or Caritas in Alabama, contact BVM Caritas Pilgrimages at 205-672-2000. After hours, dial to extension 218 or 219 to leave a message.

For information about Medjugorje or Caritas Pilgrimages visit here: https://medjugorje.com/pilgrimage/

For information about Caritas of Birmingham visit here: https://medjugorje.com/caritas-of-birmingham-page/

Media Contact: 
Reyes Silva 
205-672-2000
[email protected]

SOURCE Caritas of Birmingham

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