Bishop Zanic banned apparitions from the choir loft. The apparitions then took place in the bell tower of St. James Church. One could tell what room the apparition was taking place by looking up at the bell tower and seeing an open window. Though many pilgrims still lined up outside the door leading to the bell tower and choir loft to get a glimpse of one of the visionaries, few pilgrims were chosen to attend the apparitions, as there was not the room to accomodate them. Though the numbers of pilgrims coming to Medjugorje were increasing exponentially in these years before the war, the focus on the moment of Our Lady’s apparition every evening began diminishing simply from pilgrims not knowing where and when the apparition was taking place. The beautiful and powerful years when everyone on the Church grounds dropped to their knees in silence, because of the powerful awareness of the Queen of Peace in their midst, had passed.
