Feast of St. James

On the Church calendar, July 25th is the feast day of the apostle St. James the Greater who is the patron of St. James parish in Medjugorje. St. James is also the patron of pilgrims. It was providential, from the beginning, that the parish of Medjugorje would be named after St. James as Medjugorje has become the most popular Catholic pilgrimage site around the world. It also was providential that before the apparitions began, the small farming community had built the Church of St. James much larger than what was necessary for their small parish. On this day, in 1981, Bishop Zanic used the occasion of their feast day to say Mass in St. James Church. In his homily, he supported and defended the visionaries, saying:
“I am deeply convinced that no child who says that they have seen Our Lady, has been talked into doing so. If we were speaking about one child only, one might say he could be stubborn and that not even the police could make the child renounce what he said. But six innocent, simple children in the space of half and hour, would, if they were pushed, admit it all. None of the priests, I guarantee, had any idea of putting the children up to something…I am also convinced that the children are not lying. The children are only speaking out what’s in their hearts…It is certain: the children are not lying.”
Bishop Zanic went on to say:
“One thing is certain: something has stirred in people’s hearts. Confession, prayer, reconciliation between enemies-that is a most positive step forward. All the rest we must leave to Our Lady, to Jesus and the Church, which one day will most certainly give its opinion on the matter.”