The ABC TV 20/20 program and its segment on Medjugorje that was filmed earlier in the year was aired in the United States on the 7th Anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions, June 25, 1988. Hosted by Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, it was titled, “Journey of Faith†and was one of the most watched segments in the history of the show. Rob Wallace, the producer, in his experience of Medjugorje recognized that there was a larger story to tell than what could be told in a 20 minute segment. He spoke to A Friend of Medjugorje about doing a full-fledged private documentary. Wallace brought aboard Catholic actor Martin Sheen to be the narrator and he with the rest of the TV crew accompanied the Caritas June 1988 Pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Five out of the six visionaries were interviewed, including Mirjana who granted an interview for the first time in three years. With the professional talent of Martin Sheen and Rob Wallace and his crew, together with the spiritual insights of a Caritas’ founder, the film was visually stunning, while focusing especially on the spiritual meaning of Medjugorje. It premiered in March 1990 in Birmingham, Alabama in the famous Alabama Theatre, before being released and spread throughout the Medjugorje world. Through the documentary that came to be known as “The Lasting Sign,†tens of thousands were drawn into the experience of Medjugorje.
