Medjugorje International Youth Festival
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| Date | 1–6 August (every year) |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Type | Youth festival |
| Organised by | Medjugorje Shrine |
| Website | www.mladifest.com |
Medjugorje International Youth Festival, also known as Mladifest (lit. "Youthfest"), is an annual festival of Catholic youth organized in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, between 1 and 6 August, to mark the birthday of Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus on 5 August, as claimed by the alleged seers of the presumed local Marian apparitions. The festival was established in 1989 by two Franciscan priests, Slavko Barbarić and Tomislav Vlašić.
History
[edit]Mladifest was established in 1989 by the two Herzegovinian Franciscans – Slavko Barbarić and Tomislav Vlašić – in order to celebrate Virgin Mary's alleged 2000th birthday, as claimed by the alleged seers of Our Lady of Medjugorje. At the time, Barbarić was sentenced for disobedience to the Church and was illegally active in Medjugorje until 2000.[1] Vlašić personally led the whole festival until 1991.[2]
Every year, thousands of young people arrive in Medjugorje from all around the world.[3] On average, Mladifest is visited by some 50 thousand people every year.[3][4] Mladifest is the second-largest regular Catholic gathering of youth behind the World Youth Day.[4]
At the 2020 gathering, Pope Francis sent a message to the attendees stating that the Virgin Mary is "the great model of a Church with a young heart, ready to follow Christ with freshness and docility" and that her example should "always fascinate us and guide us". In his address, the Pope never once mentioned the alleged apparitions nor cited any of the alleged messages of the Our Lady of Medjugorje.[4]
Medjugorje Youth Festival inspired initiation of festivals in Croatia (Mladifest Hrvatska, since 2019)[5] and North America (North American Mladifest).[6] In April 2023, American and Canadian Croats gathered in Los Angeles.[7]
Editions
[edit]| Edition | Year | Dates | Participants | Countries represented | Theme | Special information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1989 | August 1989 | — | — | — | First edition of the festival; initiated by Slavko Barbarić. |
| 2nd | 1990 | August 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 1991 | August 1991 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 1992 | August 1992 | — | — | — | Held during the Bosnian War. |
| 5th | 1993 | August 1993 | — | — | — | Held during the Bosnian War. |
| 6th | 1994 | August 1994 | — | — | — | Held during the Bosnian War. |
| 7th | 1995 | August 1995 | — | — | — | Held during the final year of the Bosnian War. |
| 8th | 1996 | August 1996 | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 1997 | August 1997 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 1998 | August 1998 | — | — | — | Tenth edition. |
| 11th | 1999 | August 1999 | — | — | — | — |
| 12th | 2000 | August 2000 | — | — | — | — |
| 13th | 2001 | 1–6 August 2001 | — | — | — | — |
| 14th | 2002 | 1–6 August 2002 | — | — | — | — |
| 15th | 2003 | 1–6 August 2003 | — | — | — | — |
| 16th | 2004 | 1–6 August 2004 | — | — | — | — |
| 17th | 2005 | 1–6 August 2005 | — | — | — | — |
| 18th | 2006 | 1–6 August 2006 | About 30,000 | About 50 | — | Young people attended from all continents. |
| 19th | 2007 | 1–6 August 2007 | — | — | — | — |
| 20th | 2008 | 1–6 August 2008 | — | 60 | “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” | More than 300 priests concelebrated at the opening Mass. |
| 21st | 2009 | 1–6 August 2009 | — | — | “Do whatever he tells you” | Twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the festival. |
| 22nd | 2010 | 1–6 August 2010 | — | 69 | — | Delegations from 69 countries were welcomed during the opening programme. |
| 23rd | 2011 | 1–6 August 2011 | — | — | — | — |
| 24th | 2012 | 1–6 August 2012 | — | — | — | — |
| 25th | 2013 | 1–6 August 2013 | — | — | — | Twenty-fifth edition. |
| 26th | 2014 | 31 July–6 August 2014 | — | — | — | — |
| 27th | 2015 | 31 July–6 August 2015 | — | 70 | — | Young people from 70 countries participated. |
| 28th | 2016 | 1–6 August 2016 | — | — | — | — |
| 29th | 2017 | 1–6 August 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 30th | 2018 | 1–6 August 2018 | — | — | — | Thirtieth edition. |
| 31st | 2019 | 1–6 August 2019 | — | — | — | The Holy See had authorised officially organised pilgrimages to Međugorje earlier in 2019. |
| 32nd | 2020 | 1–6 August 2020 | Reduced attendance | Several European countries | “Come and see” | Conducted under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions; Pope Francis sent a message to the participants. |
| 33rd | 2021 | 1–6 August 2021 | Thousands | — | “What good must I do?” | Pope Francis sent a message; attendance continued to be affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions. |
| 34th | 2022 | 1–6 August 2022 | Tens of thousands | More than 70 | “Learn from me and you will find peace” | Nine bishops and archbishops and 473 priests concelebrated at the opening Mass; Pope Francis sent a message. |
| 35th | 2023 | 26–30 July 2023 | Tens of thousands | — | “Behold my mother and my brothers” | Pope Francis sent a written message to the participants. |
| 36th | 2024 | 1–6 August 2024 | Tens of thousands | — | “Mary has chosen the good part” | Pope Francis sent a written message to the participants. |
| 37th | 2025 | 4–8 August 2025 | Tens of thousands | 71 | “Let us go to the house of the Lord” | Pope Leo XIV sent a message to the participants; five bishops and 596 other priests concelebrated at the closing Mass. |
| 38th | 2026 | 1–6 August 2026 | In progress | To be announced | “Ad fontem! To the source!” | Scheduled as the 37th Youth Festival in the official parish numbering; final attendance figures had not yet been published as of 2 August 2026. |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]News articles
[edit]- Allen, John L. Jr. (4 August 2020). "Medjugorje message expresses Pope Francis's 'Marian Classic'". Crux. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- "Mladifest u Međugorju okupio tisuće mladih iz nekoliko europskih zemalja". Večernji list (in Croatian). 1 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- Perić, Ratko (5 August 2020). "Ordinarijat i "Mladifest"". Crkva na kamenu (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Zabluda o "Gospinu rođendanu" ili kako je nastao "Mladifest"". Crkva na kamenu (in Croatian). 31 July 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Poznat program 1. Mladifesta u Hrvatskoj". Hrvatska katolička mreža (in Croatian). 14 May 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- "Hrvati iz Amerike i Kanade okupili su se na ovogodišnjem Mladifestu u Los Angelesu". Hrvatska katolička mreža (in Croatian). Croatian Catholic Network. 23 April 2023.
- "Mladifest". St. Anthony Croatian Catholic Church. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
External links
[edit]
- Medjugorje International Youth Festival – Official Website (in English)
- MaryTV – Live streams from Medjugorje (in English)
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