ST. JAMES CHURCH, MEDJUGORJE

The old St. James Church

The Construction of the Old St. James Church

On 15 May 1892, the dream of the parishioners became a reality. The parish of Medjugorje was founded on this day and they could start building the church that they yearned for. The construction of the church began in 1895 under the leadership of the parish priest, Father Nikola Simovic, and was completed in 1897. The construction of the church was funded by the Franciscan province as well as the many Croatian benefactors living in the country and abroad.

The newly built old St. James Church was the pride of the parishioners and Franciscan friars. Father Andeo Nuic was the parish priest of Medjugorje from 1907 to 1914. Fifteen years after the church and its bell-tower were built, the parishioners who emigrated to the United States donated a 375.5kg church bell to the church. In 1911, the church had a new baroque altar that was made in Tyrol, Austria. Three years later, the statue of St. Anthony was added to the church.

Thirty years later, the walls of the old St. James Church began to crack and its bell-tower leaned to the left as the building began to sink. Since nothing could be done to restore the church, it became dangerous to use the building and the bells were removed and placed on the beams in front of the church. During the summer, Mass was celebrated in front of the church. However, during the winter, Mass could only be celebrated in the basement of the parish house. The old church was demolished in 1979.

The Construction of the New St. James Church

The new St. James Church

In 1934, under the leadership of Father Bernardin Smoljan, the construction of the new parish church with two pointed towers, designed by Stjepan Podhorsky, a famous architect from Zagreb, was approved. The new parish church was to be built on the land donated by the parishioners, located just west of the parish house, near the site of the old church. However, numerous difficulties arose and the church construction project did not progress as planned. Digging the foundation for the church started on 21 June 1935. It took 8 months to lay a 42 meter by 21 meter foundation  and build a 4 meter high stone wall. The construction of the church stopped during World War II and it was not until 17 October 1966 that the parish priest, Father Radovan Petrovic, together with the parishioners, restarted the construction of the church which began more than three decades earlier.

The altar inside St. James Church

The statue of Our Lady of Lourdes inside St. James Church

Money for the church building project was donated by the parishioners, particularly those who worked in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland as well as numerous others who emigrated overseas. The construction of the church was completed in a short time and was blessed by Bishop Petar Cule on 19 January 1969 in the presence of the parishioners and Father Rufin Silic, a renowned Franciscan and superior of the Herzegovinian province. After the construction of the bell-towers was completed in May and June 1969, the bells on the four oak trees in front of the old parish church were placed in them. The church floor was tiled with stone in 1976 and, in 1980, wooden benches were put in place. An altar made of local stone was built prior to that. Stained glass windows made by Branimir Dorotic, a Croatian artist from Zagreb, were used to decorate the church not long after the apparitions began.

Stained glass windows in the parish church by Branimir Dorotic

Stained glass windows in the church

Stained glass windows in the church

Since 1981, millions of Catholic pilgrims from all over the world flock to Medjugorje every year and St. James Church could no longer accommodate all of them. The church and its surrounding areas have therefore been reorganized to meet the needs of the growing number of pilgrims. 

The marble statue of the Queen of Peace in front of St. James Church 

In 1987, the marble statue of the Queen of Peace was put up in the square in front of the church. Dino Felici, the Italian artist and sculptor, sculpted it in accordance with the descriptions given by the visionaries. 

The exterior altar of St. James Church

An exterior altar was constructed next to the church in 1991. With about 5000 seats, it is the place where thousands of pilgrims gather during the summer not only to pray the rosary and celebrate mass but also for the various Medjugorje festivals. 

The Second Station of the Cross

The Seventh Station of the Cross

The Thirteenth Station of the Cross

The 14 Stations of the Cross, beautifully depicted in a series of sculptures by the famous Italian sculptor, Peppino Sacchi, were placed in the church in 1996. Those who are unable to climb Mount Krizevac can pray and meditate on the Passion of Christ before the carvings of this famous Italian sculptor. 

Today, Medjugorje has become the confessional of the world. 20 confessionals had been built around the church in 1991 and today they have about 50 confessionals. Millions of pilgrims come to Medjugorje for confession every year and thousands can be seen queueing up before the confessionals every day during the summer months. Numerous pilgrims have responded to the call of the Queen of Peace to conversion and reconciliation since the early days of the apparitions. 

You many also like to read THE APPARITIONS OF OUR LADY AT MEDJUGORJE; ARE THE MEDJUGORJE APPARITIONS AUTHENTIC?; and THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDJUGORJE BY FATHER DR. LJUDEVIT RUPCIC. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

Reference:

MEDJUGORJE. Information Center "MIR" Medjugorje.