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3 BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3 Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3 The story of the thousands of Northern Irish pilgrims who flock to the controversial shrine of Medjugorje. …More
3 BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3
The story of the thousands of Northern Irish pilgrims who flock to the controversial shrine of Medjugorje. Every year around 25,000 people from Northern Ireland travel to the unlikely destination of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the small town of Medjugorje. But sun, sand and silly souvenirs are not high on the list of priorities for them.
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BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Triplevision Productions.
Every year around 25,000 people from Northern Ireland travel to the unlikely destination of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the small town of Medjugorje. But sun, sand and silly souvenirs are not high on the list of priorities for these holiday makers, rather they are searching for spiritual enlightenment; for a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary …More
BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Triplevision Productions.

Every year around 25,000 people from Northern Ireland travel to the unlikely destination of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the small town of Medjugorje. But sun, sand and silly souvenirs are not high on the list of priorities for these holiday makers, rather they are searching for spiritual enlightenment; for a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and for cures for everything from addiction and loneliness to cancer.

Pilgrims looks into these issues of faith and spirituality as it follows a group of pilgrims from Northern Ireland as they make their way to the world-renowned shrine in the small town of Medjugorje.

While Mary is reported to have appeared for a short time in Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal and Knock in Ireland, it is said that she appears on a daily basis in the town of Medjugorje.

'Our Lady of Medjugorje’ was first reported to have appeared on June 24, 1981 to six Herzegovinian Croat children, who claim to have since experienced daily visions. It is said that the apparition told the children that she would impart 10 secrets onto each of them.

Three of the visionaries have now claimed to have received their 10 secrets and the visions have reduced to once a year. The remaining three visionaries say they have yet to receive their final secret and their visions continue to appear every day.

One of these visionaries, and perhaps the best known, is Vicka Ivankovic. Vicka was the eldest of the children to have first experienced the vision back in 1981. She was 16 at the time, and everyday she continues to receive messages and pass them on to the pilgrims who gather at her doorstep.

But while many believers flock to Medjugorje in the hope of witnessing an apparition or being touched in someway by the divine, others are not so convinced by the claims of the six visionaries.

The Catholic Church has never officially recognised Medjugorje as a site of true apparitions and in their early days of their sightings, the visionaries were even chased and arrested by militia in an effort to make them retract their claims. Each of them, however, has continued to stick to their story.

Scientific tests on the visionaries, commissioned by the Franciscans to examine the validity of their claims, have only indicated the six of them completely believe what they say they witnessed.

This documentary features a rare interview with Vicka and with Father Jozo Zovko, the priest who took the children under his wing despite how the Catholic Church or Communist regime felt about their claims.

It also meets the people from Northern Ireland for whom Medjugorje has had a profound impact on their lives.

Reggie Donnelly from Belfast has been organising trips to Medjugorje since the late 1980s and says his visits have strengthened his faith. Éadaoin Mac Rory, a mother of six from Ballymena believes her prayers were answered there.

Belfast man Emmanuel Strong now visits Medjugorje as often as possible since his mother died there on a pilgrimage. He says he's thankful that she passed away there. David Parkes, from Dublin, had been suffering from Crohn’s Disease and says he was given two weeks to live but was cured on his visit to Medjugorje. Liam Stewart from Londonderry says he was cured of his addiction to drink and drugs by visiting the town. And Bernadette Mc-Donagh and Theresa McLaughlin from Bangor both claim to have seen an apparition of Mary on this latest visit.

But Pilgrims is not an investigation into the supernatural appearance; nor is it about investigating the claims of the visionaries or the people who claim to have had life changing experiences in Medjugorje.

Rather, this insightful documentary takes a non-judgmental look how far some people believe their faith can take them and how, regardless of the detractors around them, some people can be so devoted to what they believe is the divine that they truly believe it can help them in times of poor health, troubles and loneliness.

Pilgrims Producer Eamonn Devlin says: “Pilgrims is a film about faith; it is not a test of it. The people who set off on their journey to Medjugorje are searching for something, something that other aspects of life cannot give them. From the moment they arrive in the village you can see a change in them, a peace of mind; a happiness that was not present in Belfast International Airport. Perhaps they have found what they are searching for, or possibly a little bit nearer to finding it?

“Medjugorje is an experience way beyond comprehension: often magical and strangely fascinating it takes you to a place where, for those who believe, anything is possible. This for me is a good place. Whether Mary is appearing, the sick are being healed, the sun is dancing in the sky or you even believe in God is completely irrelevant. You take from Medjugorje what you want from it – even if that is to decide you don’t believe in it!”

Pilgrims is narrated by acclaimed actor Bernard Hill and co-directed by Eamonn Devlin and Gerard Stratton from Triplevision Productions for BBC Northern Ireland.
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3 BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3
The story of the thousands of Northern Irish pilgrims who flock to the controversial shrine of Medjugorje. Every year around 25,000 people from Northern Ireland travel to the unlikely destination of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the small town of Medjugorje. But sun, sand and silly souvenirs are not high on the list of priorities for them.