As the numbers of believers swelled into the thousands each day, the Communist authorities began to fear an uprising in the people. Pressure from Belgrade and Sarajevo was placed on the local government to stop the visionaries from going to the mountain. Two social workers took the visionaries away from the village. Demanding to be let out of the car near the time of the apparition, the children saw from a distance the crowd of people gathered on the mountain. They then saw a light detach from the mountain and begin traveling to them. Once the light was near them, Our Lady appeared. The social workers also saw the light, and then saw the visionaries drop to their knees in ecstasy. They became believers through their experience. The visionaries realized for the first time that they didn’t have to be on the mountain for Our Lady to appear to them. Mirjana then asked Our Lady if She would have the apparitions in St. James Church because of the persecution they were experiencing. Being in the Church would afford them greater protection. Our Lady appeared undecided, but then agreed to appear in the Church, saying:
“Always at the same time…â€(which was 6:40 p.m.)
The visionaries felt badly that the people who waited for them and for Our Lady on Apparition Mountain were disappointed that they had not come.
