Marija returned to Caritas of Birmingham in July, 2008. The year 2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the first apparitions of Our Lady that took place in the Bedroom and the Field in 1988. The Five Days of Prayer, July 1-5 was a solemn event in which thousands of pilgrims from all 50 states came together to be with Our Lady. The purpose of the gathering was to make a Formal and Solemn Act of Consecration of the United States of America on July 4th, the birthday of the nation, to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Seeing the United States move further and further from God sparked the desire in the founder of Caritas to bring Our Lady back to our nation with the plea that She would intercept the destructive path it was headed on. The Bishops of the United States had re-consecrated the United States to Our Lady as the Patroness of our nation in November of 2006. This consecration in July, by “we the people,†was to add greater graces to this action of the bishops by doing so in the actual presence of the Mother of God, an extraordinary opportunity of grace. During the July 2, 2008 apparition, Marija went before Our Lady with a special intention. She said:
“I asked Our Lady for tomorrow. I said tomorrow is a special day, the Vigil for the 4th, and Our Lady smiling, said that the apparition would be at 10:00 at night in the Field. Our Lady said, not here[the Bedroom], but in the Field, tomorrow night, 10:00 p.m. Our Lady said [the apparition is] for everybody…So, not two times will there be an apparition, but only tomorrow night, in the Field for everybody.â€
Not since the apparitions in Alabama in 1988 had Our Lady appeared in a night time apparition. Everyone was moved by this uncommon gesture of Our Lady. That night Marija’s face was intense during the long apparition, and Our Lady said that the apparition of July 4th, would also be in the Field at 10 p.m. Just before Our Lady appeared on July 4th, the birthday of the United States of America, everyone present prayed with deep intensity of love for their nation the Solemn Act of Consecration of the United States written by a Friend of Medjugorje for this occasion. That night, Our Lady came with three angels, a very rare occurrence in the apparitions. It was a sign from Our Lady that She recognized the ‘feast day’ of America’s birth by being accompanied by angels. The second cause of joy was that Our Lady gave a message that night. She said:
“Thank you for all your prayers, be my extended hands in this peaceless world.â€
On July 5, Marija asked Our Lady on behalf of a Friend of Medjugorje, if She would give Her Special Blessing to all the pilgrims who were present on this day for Her apparition. Our Lady smiled at the request and said:
“Today I give you my Motherly blessing, take it to your homes, to your families.â€