[leo daly]

Thanks to a delayed flight, I arrived 1.30am Medjugorje time Sunday morning (9.30am Sundaz afternoon Sydnez time) I left home 4.30pm fridaz Szdney time. Had to wait for a 9pm flight. Obviouslz I was glad to get to bed. I got up about 7am Sundaz and havent been too badlz affected bz Jet lag
The crowds are reasonablz small suprisingly. Only about half the seats for the outside altar are occupied during the Rosarz. Most are filled bz the time mass starts. The temp is in the high 30s. I have just been doing the usual things, 10am English Mass, International prazer service, Visited Pat and Nancy. Praz for Pat, he has a very sore back after an operation.
I brieflz met Sean and his family which was nice, havent seen them since (Hope I didnćt scare them away. I am still on cloud 9 after the healing I recieved. I notice my posting on that has been deleted. Sorry for any offence caused. I did not mean to offend, just share a wonderful gift.
After doing a lot of filming during mz previous 2 pilgrimages, it has been nice not to have to do so much this time. I do have about 24 hours of memorz cards just in case. I used them all last year. I am sure that as the anniversary gets closer there will be more to film. I intend to go in the Humac to Medjugorje peace march and will film that.
Yesterday I filmed the death of a flower and made a waiter at one of the restaurants think I was slightlz crazy when I did a time lapse video of one of the St James clocks. Both of these will be combined for a set of videos I am doing relating to Our Ladys messages.
Several of the internet cafes I used to use have closed so it has not been as easy to find one. I am pleased to notice that this one has a USB port on the front of the computer so I can upload photos here rather than waiting till I get home. Due to size and internet speed, I wont upload videos.
They are putting up cameras on poles near the trees at the back of the seats for the outside altar. I will post pics of this later, I forgot to bring my card reader with me.
The risen Christ statue is dripping again, interestingly it stops and starts without any rain in between. I will be able to publish the first stage of my research soon after I arrive home. I dont believe it to be rain water from the top.
Well that is about it from me. I am getting sick of this kezboard and it is midday. I am off to Colombos temple. Warning, it is advisable that if you are going to be arriving here in the next few days, dont mention to the locals about last nights soccer match
Cheers
Leo.
(The crazy pilgrim who holds an alarm clock on the leg of the Risen Christ while filming it)

[pablovb]

the photos leo?

[flsongbird]

Thank you so much for the update Leo! I'm thrilled for you for your healing and can't wait to see your photos and videos! I sure do miss Colombos! And Viktors. I enjoyed it there too. Keep us posted!

Love and prayers,
Jenn

[leo daly]

Photos tomorrow. It has been a miserable day todaz with rain and a few dramatic storms. I do not think I will be sitting outside for mass or rosary tonight.
Cheers
Leo.

[Gael]

sounds great, I missed your post about healing, perhaps you can tell us more about that another time.

[leo daly]

I have not taken many still photos yet. Will do when the weather clears. Gael, the healing was a habitual mortal sin that had I had been praying for over 10 years. It has finallz gone.
We are having a Eucharistic procession throughout the village on Thursday, please praz that the weather is ok. Saw Sean and co again yesterday, had a great chat. Got some info from Sean that will help me film a short video related to the Triumph to help promote it in Australia. More details later. Please pray it works out.

Cheers
Leo

[Maryschild]

.
Thanks Leo for your update! I am looking forward to seeing your photos.
I am saying prayers for you and others for a safe visit and trip home.
Please share some more...
Sandy

[leo daly]

About time I told you a bit more about my adventures. If you're not interested in Medjugorje, let me know and I'll stop :=)

A few days ago, I was in Columbo's minding my own business when all of a sudden Jacov and a Franciscan came in. He was laughing and joking with various people. I never doubted he had a sense of humour, but I've only ever seen him serious. I didn't try to chat even though I was only 10 feet away.

Crowds are building, At the evening prayer service, almost all the chairs around the outside altar are filled, including those under the trees. More and more buses are arriving.

We had a beautiful Eucharistic procession after mass yesterday. It nearly didn't happen thanks to the weather. There was a bit of thunder during it and a few spots of rain, but the candles and huge procession (and of course the monstrance) were beatiful. I got the idea of holding my camera on the tripod so it was well above my head, it gave quite a reasonable view of the crowd and suprisingly wasn't too shaky. I was especially pleased at the lack of pushing and shoving, though I did somehow manage to end up being about 50m behind the monstrance. Unfortunately, somehow the first few mins got cut. I was about 6m from the tent.

We've got a nice fine day today and not too hot, I'm going to attempt Apparition hill, keep that in your prayers, my right knee is a bit dodgy. All going well I'll do Krizevac in 2 days.

Cheers
Leo.

[Gillespio]

Ivan Dragicevic possible for the appearance 21/06/2014 (tbc)

http://medjugorjeetlagospa.blogspot.fr/ ... 6PpnPl_uSo

[leo daly]

I forgot to mention, I hadn't been taking my camera to all the English masses as I already have several recorded plus about 20 homilies. On Corpus Christi, I felt compelled to take it and the priest was amazing, I'll post on youtube when I get home. I had been praying for help in setting up weekend adoration in our parish and this was a huge inspiration to keep going with the idea. He said we should become tabernacle huggers !
I didn't get up Podbrdo yesterday, the parish are doing their daily novena at 2pm which was when I was going to go. I'll do it early tomorrow if the weather is OK, it is clouding over again. I've been trying to storm Heaven, but I am not wanting it to storm us !
Cheers
Leo.

[leo daly]

Well, the weather is beautiful today. Not too hot and nice and fine, so I'll do Podbrdo today. Mass is at 12 in the yellow hall. So I've got about 1 hour after leaving the internet cafe to do a warm up walk before Mass, then after Mass, I'll hit the hill. Ivan had a talk at the outside Altar last night and afterwards invited people to attend his apparition at 9pm. There was Adoration from 10-11 last night. I chickened out of his apparition, I find it hard enough to climb the hills when it is not very crowded.
Cenacolo had an english talk yesterday which I filmed, I was able to ask a question about their daily schedule which should be helpful to someone I know who is looking at setting up a Cenacolo in Australia.
Well it's goodbye from me and it's goodbye from him
Cheers Leo

[marylover]

Thanks Leo for all your updates. I don't always get time to read all posts during week but love reading your updates. The story about the dog in the procession was amazing. Also looking forward to your pictures.

[Medjugorjeprayers]

RM

[athenacp]

TY for the updates!

[Maryschild]

Leo,

Thank you for your wonderful updates! I always enjoy the pictures
that you take and share with us. Your writings about your visits to
Medjugorje, is like being there with you. I like your adventures, keep
them coming!

Thanks Leo! I am looking forward to the pictures and the videos.

Sandy

[leo daly]

I got up at the ungodly hour of 4.30am ready to be picked up at 5 to go to Humac for the annual peace march. The weather was great. I've filmed about 15-20 mins total from various places along the march as well as the opening prayer and last few mins of Adoration outside St James. My knee problem seems to have gone, but I know my legs will most likely be stiff as boards tomorrow. We had an Indian Bishop celebrate English mass today. I filmed that and he was great. I'm just taking a breather before dinner and heading off to the evening service, I will be filming mass. Thank heavens I bought a 3rd battery before leaving Aus.
Crowds are definatly building though the locals are saying it is smaller than usual. I remember the crowds at the 25th were huge by this stage. More updates tomorrow. I'm going to have to look for another internet cafe, the lady who runs it is a chain smoker.
Cheers
Leo.

[Gael]

Great to read these updates Leo, sounds wonderful.

[leo daly]

I didn't end up filming yesterdays mass due to the crowd but took quite a few photos and videos of the crowd. Sorry having problems uploading them. The entire area around the outside altar was packed to just past the trees between there and the paddock where you occasionally see horses. There were many priests. The parish have painted the first few rows of seats in front of the outside altar white and most of them were occupied. During the Rosary, a whole bunch of Polish people in beautiful red robes with a picture of Christ on the back suddenly turned up. They stood at the back of the main aisle on the path that goes sideways. This was right in front of me, so I got a lot of photos. One guy had a fur hat and a huge sword. I've also got some video of them. I was hoping they'd march up and join in the proceedings but that did not happen. Several times it looked as though they were going to so I quickly set up my tripod. Oh well.
After Mass, Ivan, Marija and Jacov read Mary's thingy. I don't know where the others were, but yesterday I was pleased to see Vicka standing up taking part in the initial prayers before the peace march, so at least she is obviously ok. Hopefully all 6 will be on the altar tonight.
Surprisingly I'm not too stiff after yesterday's walk. My dodgy knees seem ok now, but my back is a tad sore.
I've been meaning to mention a funny experience from a few days ago. I was sitting in (you guessed it) Columbos and a bunch of burly Polish people on Harleys went in procession down the street. Right behind them was a skinny grey haired man on a wobbly bicycle. The contrast was so funny.
Please please please pray, that the rain clears up before tonight.
That's about it from me. Sorry about the lack of photos, but they will come, even if it is after I get home.
Cheers
Leo.

[flsongbird]

I watched the Mass online yesterday! It looked beautiful! Will tune in for some of it today before going to the Mass in my Diocese this afternoon! Praying the rain stays away!

Love and prayers,
Jenn

[leo daly]

What a day yesterday was. Before I went to breakfast, I went to charge the batteries for my video and still cameras. I do have 2 spares for the video camera but decided being a big day, I better be prepared for anything. I plugged the charger to the camera and switched on. I noticed the charging light wasn't flashing then noticed I didn't have the battery in the camera. I put the battery in and tried again with the same result. Thoughts of the camera being destroyed flashed through my mind. I then noticed the battery for the still camera also wasn't charging and so thought maybe the power point was faulty. Tried another, same result by which time I was really worried. I thought I'll try a third and I breathed a huge sigh of relief to see the flashing lights on both chargers.
About 9.30, I went for a wander down to the church and filmed the crowds around the church as well as the back and around the path leading to the cemetary. There were so many people, The stations and Risen Christ were packed. I then went to the parking area which was understandably packed with coaches. I went back to the main street and filmed even more coaches plus the crowds walking around the shops. It was absolutely incredible.
I filmed the English Mass, we had a young priest who was ordained in May. He told us how Medjugorje changed his family from being people who regularly had drinking and smoking parties to regular prayer groups.
I arrived early for the international mass and wandered around the path at the back of the seats looking for Nancy and Pat Latta, but had no luck. I then noticed that a scaffold that had been set up several days before was vacant. You guessed it, I climbed up and set up my camera. About half way through the Rosary, one of the guys from Photo Dani came up too and set up his camera. I lowered mine and sat down on the scaffold so he could pan the crowd. I was still able to get an excellent view and had done a few pans before he arrived. The crowd went well beyond the trees, but was not as big as the 25th anniversary, not as many people around the outside of St James.
The Rosary and Mass were beautiful. Jacov, Marija and Mirjana did Our Lady's Magnificat. Mirjana has a back problem, Ivanka was away for her annual apparition and Vicka was with her family. I was pleased to see her yesterday doing part of the opening prayer for the peace march. I spoke to the information centre today and they are trying to get me a transcript of the homily. Please pray this occurs. I forgot to take my radio with me so didn't get the simultaneous translation.
This morning I did a bit of filming around the church to provide a contrast to yesterday's crowds. Wow, what a difference. I am looking forward to being able to show you the edited version.

That's about it from me.
Cheers
Leo.

[mamamary]

thank you leo! so very enjoyable.

[marylover]

Leo, being Polish myself, would love to see the pictures of the polish people in their red robes with Christ's picture, sounds beautiful.
Will pass on a pic of the burly polish bikers on Harleys though

[leo daly]

Short report today. Things are quietening down. While I've been on pilgrimage I've been trying to discern whether I'm being called to help promote weekend adoration at my parish. After chatting with a number of priests, the answer is a resounding yes, though I still have to approach my Parish priest. The feeling inside me makes me feel I need to go ahead with it. Prior to leaving home, I had also felt I needed to help promote more of Sean's videos such as Knock and Kibeho. I'm now feeling Kibeho may be on the back burner for the moment, but given that Knock is really about the Eucharist, I feel it would be a good partner for the adoration. I have been trying to find an Irish priest to give a brief talk on Knock so that I can give it to our Australian Archbishops to help get their approval to promote it. Funnily enough, I've had great difficulty doing so. There are surprisingly few Irish priests here.
Speaking of the Irish, in the past 3 weeks, I have not heard Lady of Knock in St James. There are Irish pilgrims here. I'm not complaining as they're now often singing "We come to you dearest mother", which is obviously more appropriate.
Yesterday, I nearly fell off my chair, Ivanka (one of the guides) came over to say hi, while I was having lunch and as she was leaving she said, she'd try and get me to Ivan's apparition in his chapel. I'm praying that happens.
That's about it from me.
Cheers
Leo.

[bluecross]

/

[leo daly]

Many thanks Bluecross. I will definately follow them up when I get home as this computer's speakers don't work well.
Again, I wasn't going to record English Mass this morning, but at the last moment decided to. It turned out to be the feast of the sacred heart. And of course another wonderful sermon.
Cheers
Leo.