The idea for a prayer gathering for young people was born in the heart of a young pilgrim from England at the end of the Marian Year (1988). He shared this idea with Fra Slavko Barbarić, who embraced it and began organizing and leading the Festival until his death on 24 November 2000. After many discussions and much goodwill, the first gathering was successfully held. Lectures for the youth were delivered by Franciscan friars from Herzegovina. Prayer gatherings were held in a large green tent, and in the shaded grove next to the church in Medjugorje, as well as on Podbrdo, Križevac, and in the church during the extended hours of Eucharistic Adoration. Music was led by Liam Lawton, a young and talented priest from Ireland. When this first festival concluded, the decision was made to continue, thus leading to the second prayer gathering, which was richer and better prepared. As the word about Medjugorje spread, so did the word about the Festival. It demonstrated the power and reach of the call to peace and showed how eagerly people embraced it. The Festival also revealed that young people understood peace as not something easily attained but as a gift from God to those who wholeheartedly turn to Him. This experience resonated widely, amplified by the media, and continues to echo today. For many, the experience in Medjugorje led to a decision to follow Christ by choosing a priestly or religious vocation. Alongside the Sacrament of Reconciliation, spiritual vocations remain one of the most beautiful fruits of Medjugorje. Young people are drawn to challenges, and Christ’s call to radical discipleship is precisely that.
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