By Greg Garrison
Religion News Service
(RNS) Thousands of pilgrims from across the country visited central Alabama for a five-day prayer retreat focused on a woman who has reported daily sightings of the Virgin Mary since 1981.
Marija Lunetti, from Medjugorje in the former Yugoslavia, reported daily visions while pilgrims gathered outside the house where she has been staying in Shelby County, Ala., about 25 miles south of Birmingham.
On Thursday (July 3) and Friday, she reported visions at 10 p.m. in a field amid pilgrims gathered under a pine tree. Lunetti said the Virgin Mary appeared to her and offered blessings for everyone in the crowd.
Although no one else could see the apparitions, many in the crowd believed Lunetti sees miraculous visions.
“It’s an overwhelming experience,” said Judith Rojas of Salt Lake City, who came to Birmingham Tuesday and left Saturday. “She’s here. The Virgin Mary is visiting us from heaven. How can you comprehend that?”
Lunetti’s home village of Medjugorje, in what is now Bosnia-Herzegovina, has drawn millions of pilgrims since Lunetti and five other youths began reporting the visions 27 years ago.
Terry Colafrancesco, the founder of Caritas of Birmingham, promotes the visions of Medjugorje and sponsored Lunetti last week. Lunetti was seeking medical treatment at St. Vincent’s Birmingham for a broken collarbone and shoulder injured in a skiing accident earlier this year in Italy, where she now lives.
Lunetti may stay several more weeks in Birmingham to continue seeking therapy and may eventually undergo surgery, Colafrancesco said.
The Catholic Church has not ruled on the validity of the Medjugorje visions, and the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham prohibits Mass at Caritas, although it allowed a special daily Mass for visiting pilgrims at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church.
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted July 7, 2008 at 6:44 pm
People are desperate to believe the fantastic. It’s a shame.
posted July 7, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Some folks will fall for anything. It is amazing that only Lunetti could see the BVM even though there were many other people there, 25 miles south of Birmingham, (where I used to live and was married. Never saw the BVM however). Wouldn’t you think that if indeed the BVM wanted to show off, she’d make herself visible to more than one person in a crowd? Of course this woman has been seeing the BVM for over 27 years! Guess hallucinations can last a long time.
posted July 7, 2008 at 9:53 pm
My cynicalshadow is showing…
People who wan to see magic will see magic
People who want to see visions will have or believe in visions.
People who want to see Biblical characters will see them everywhere. I was amused to learn that the RCC was competing with the Scienologists for control of Clearwater FL when the BVM was on the side of a building.
On the one hand, so what? On the other hand – if it helps someone in real need – great. On the other hand – it doesn’t do anything for me.
posted July 8, 2008 at 11:54 am
Darn it, I want to see visions and I don’t. NOT FAIR!!!
posted July 8, 2008 at 2:41 pm
People have seen the BVM in toast, on window condensation,in clouds etc. Of course, people see Elvis too! Personally I think seeing Elvis would be cool….
posted July 9, 2008 at 10:09 am
I am waiting for Alfred E. Newman to show up in the swirls of my cappacino!
posted July 9, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Its sad when people feel they have to mock other peoples’ faith to make up for their own lack there of. The Blessed Mother has no need to prove anything to such people. I’m pretty sure the Bible says “blessed are those who do not see and believe.”
posted July 9, 2008 at 3:12 pm
jjkans:
No one is mocking other people’s faiths. It is just really hard to believe that the BVM shows up in condensation, toast, clouds etc. Also how is it she seems to only appear to one person when there are thousands of others in the same exact spot? (as in the article). Strange, huh? I do recall reading that she appeared to 3 little kids at once one time (France??) a long time ago. However I doubt that too. But if it makes folks feel better to believe…that’s fine.
posted July 9, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Not a very graceful backtrack pagansister. True, sometimes people see what they want to see. But, sometimes they don’t see because they don’t want to see.
posted July 9, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Had/have no reason to backtrack, jjkans, gracefully or otherwise, just saying what I feel about “visions.” (and some of their stange locations). As for folks who don’t see because they don’t want to see? I suspect that among those thousands in Alabama, there were more than 1 who wanted to see the BVM. Apparently she (BVM) is very seletive about who she appears to.
posted July 9, 2008 at 10:13 pm
jjkans wrote, “But, sometimes they don’t see because they don’t want to see.”
But the flip side is people often see what they are told to see. So many folks are skeptical of the “Emporers New Clothes” spirituality.
If it makes one person’s heart skip a beat and another person to smile with amusement, so it goes. Some times it is all in your mood / attitude at the moment. It is kind of like the othr piece on B’net about seeing angels in the clouds. I am usually just looking for storm on the horizon – others see angel, horses, or dolphins.
posted July 9, 2008 at 11:47 pm
After reading the first set of remarks, I do agree with jjkans. If you don’t believe in the Holy Mother appearing to someone, that’s your stand. I just find it amazing how quick some of you were to laugh at the possibility of the Virgin appearing to just one person and not others. Of the appearances that I know of, the Holy Mother always appears to that chosen person. If she wishes to make herself known to more, than she may do so if she wishes.
posted July 10, 2008 at 2:49 pm
“If she wishes to make herself known to more, than she may do so if she wishes.” Imperial Jewel
Well of course that is the case..after all, she is THE BVM! If you have magical powers, you can do anything.
posted July 11, 2008 at 11:20 am
“Well of course that is the case..after all, she is THE BVM! If you have magical powers, you can do anything.”pagansister.
Ahh, those are the witty last words I was waiting for.
posted July 11, 2008 at 9:37 pm
So you agree with me, jjkans, that the BVM is “magical”. Magic has nothing to do with “spiritual, or religious.”