Your first pilgrimage to Medjugorje: what to expect

If you have never been to Medjugorje, you may wonder what you are signing up for. We have led pilgrims to Medjugorje since 1989. This is what we tell first-time pilgrims.

It is a pilgrimage, not a tour

The days are built around prayer and the sacraments, not sightseeing. You will pray more than you do at home, and many pilgrims find that is exactly what they came for. Nobody is expected to do everything. There is time to rest, to sit quietly in church, at the Blue Cross or in Adoration, or to walk the fields.

“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

A day in Medjugorje

• Morning: breakfast at the guest house, then Mass in English at St James Church, at 10am (noon on Sundays). Many mornings include an orientation, a climb or a visit.
• Afternoon: free time, a talk, confession, or a quiet hour in Adoration or at the Risen Christ statue behind the church.
• Evening: the heart of the day. From 5pm the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are prayed at St James (the apparition takes place during the Sorrowful Mysteries), followed by Holy Mass at 6pm, then the Peace Rosary and the Glorious Mysteries, Healing Prayers, and Eucharistic Adoration or Veneration of the Cross. Many pilgrims say Adoration in Medjugorje is unlike anything they have experienced.

The climbs

Apparition Hill (Podbrdo), where Our Lady first appeared in June 1981, is a short climb over rough rock, praying the Rosary on the way. Cross Mountain (Križevac) is longer and steeper, with the Stations of the Cross up to the great white cross. Good walking shoes matter.

Climbing Cross Mountain or Apparition Hill is not mandatory. Some pilgrims choose not to, and the rest of the pilgrimage does not depend on it.

Where we stay

Triumph Pilgrimages groups stay in the guest house of the visionary Mirjana Soldo and her husband Marko. Rooms are simple and clean, with a private bathroom. Breakfast and lunch are served at the house. Our licensed local guide, Miki Musa, is with the group throughout the pilgrimage, but not for meals.

Places we visit

Besides St James Church and the two hills, Triumph pilgrimages usually include:

• Cenacolo, a community where young men recover from addiction through prayer and work, and share their stories
• Mother’s Village, which cares for orphaned and vulnerable children
• Surmanci, home of the miraculous icon of Divine Mercy linked to the miracle that led to St Faustina’s canonization
• The grave of Fr Slavko Barbarić, OFM
• Talks by priests when available, and by visionaries when possible

Confession

Medjugorje is often called “the confessional of the world.” Priests hear confessions in many languages, including English, around St James Church. If it has been years, this is a good place to come home.

The Church and Medjugorje

In September 2024 the Vatican approved devotion and pilgrimages, organized by priests and bishops, to Medjugorje. Read what the Church has said.

How to prepare

Start walking a little every day, pray the Rosary, and if you can, go to Mass during the week. Our Before you travel page covers passports, packing, money and other details.

Remember that you are a pilgrim on a pilgrimage. Put God first, and see every hassle or obstacle as a stepping stone to holiness.

See our upcoming pilgrimages