"Medjugorje brought me back to the Church”

"I went on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina at the invitation of one of my brothers who is very religious. I was raised Catholic by my mother, who is very devout, but I completely turned away from my faith as a teenager because I had serious doubts about the very existence of Mary and Jesus, the Son of God. These stories seemed to me like reassuring children's tales.

My brother eventually had to cancel his trip, but I still went out of curiosity. As soon as our bus departed from Paris, we were quickly made to feel at ease: we were asked to fill out a small anonymous survey to know where we were in our faith. The group was pretty diverse, and we were invited not to put on masks and to be real with each other, which fostered mutual understanding and trust.

On the evening of our arrival in Medjugorje, unable to sleep and feeling restless, I decided to go for a walk in the town, where I had spotted a few bars, to have a few pints and more as usual. Then I resisted this impulse, sensing that I would miss out on something, and I prayed that I would have a good time. I prayed that I would be able to stay away from alcohol, which I did. I was satisfied with a glass of water or orange juice, which for those who know me was already a miracle!

I hadn't been to confession in 20 years, and rediscovered Mass and communion, as well as all the religious services, with great enthusiasm and focus. I kept finding answers to my questions in the homilies of the priests or in a casual word from a member of the group.

I was also struck by the great freedom of spirit of the people in the group and of the priests who were with us. I never felt pressured in my journey, and that made me want to get closer to the Church in order to help me grow in the faith that was sown during this short pilgrimage."

Yoann 

www.clubmedj.com