[Prodigals]

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, retired Archbishop of Warsaw-Prague in Poland, begins his mandate this weekend (on Sunday) as Apostolic Visitor to St James Parish in Medjugorje. His assignment is for an unspecified period of time, and is at the discretion of the Holy See.

According to the Vatican Press Office the archbishop's assignment “has the aim of acquiring a deeper knowledge of the pastoral situation there [Medjugorje] and above all, of the needs of the faithful who go there in pilgrimage, and on the basis of this, to suggest possible pastoral initiatives for the future . . . The Envoy will not enter into questions regarding the Marian apparitions, which are the competence of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."

"He will be in contact with the diocesan bishop, the Franciscan Friars Minor – to whom the parish of Medjugorje is entrusted". It will be interesting to see what initiatives his association with them might produce in the future, and in what ways they might change the character of Medjugorje.

[johntt]

MaryTV will be broadcasting the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Hoser to mark the beginning of his ministry.

Here is the announcement from MaryTV:

• Archbishop Hoser will begin his ministry in Medjugorje by celebrating Holy Mass, on Sunday, July 22 at 7 pm. (Medjugorje Time)
  We invite all our parishioners and pilgrims to participate in this festive celebration.
  
  This important event will be streamed LIVE, this Sunday, by Mary TV….tell your friends!
  
  Website: http://www.marytv.tv
  
  This LIVE event will start @ 1 PM EST / 7PM Medjugorje.

The Vatican announcement can be viewed at:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/ne ... -mary.html

[leo daly]

For those who couldn't wake up at an ungodly hour to watch, here is the Mass etc from Sunday night. https://marytv.tv/papal-envoy/

[irish m]

Thanks Leo for that haven't heard from you in a long time
hope you are doing well
God Bless you
Love irish M

[johntt]

July 23, 2018
St. Bridget

Dear Family of Mary!

Yesterday the Parish of Medjugorje welcomed the Papal Visitor, Archbishop Henryk Hoser at a special Sunday Evening Mass! It was a moment to behold. The Archbishop was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia-Hercegovina, Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, who read a letter from our Holy Father, Pope Francis, commissioning Archbishop Hoser as Apostolic Visitor to the Parish of Medjugorje. Here is a transcription of the letter as read by Archbishop Pezzuto:

Our venerable brother, Mons. Henryk Hoser, the Archbishop, Bishop Emeritus of Warsaw – Prague! As the continuation of the task of the Special Envoy of the Holy See for the Parish of Medjugorje, which you recently accomplished, and in the desire to express the particular pastoral care that this reality requires, I appoint Your Excellency as Apostolic Visitor, with the special role for the Parish of Medjugorje for an indefinite period, ad nutum sanctae sedis, with the authority, obligations, and in accordance with the modalities specified and the mandate attached to this document.

Convinced that you will know how to efficiently carry out the entrusted task in the spirit of positive cooperation with all the interested parties, I assure you of my prayers and with my heart I impart to you the Apostolic Blessing. Vatican, May 31, 2018, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Signed – Pope Francis.

We all feel such joy at the installation of Archbishop Hoser in Medjugorje as the Apostolic Visitor. It now seems that Medjugorje has a home in the Church, a bit of protection and guidance for the days ahead. The Parish has carried a heavy load, providing a place for pilgrimage and the sacraments for the millions of pilgrims who have visited there. Now they will have the support of the Archbishop, with pastoral guidance and wisdom. He will also provide communication between Medjugorje and Rome.

We can all pray for Archbishop Hoser, as he assumes his role as Visitor. He truly has the heart of Our Lady. Thank you Jesus, for providing this wonderful protector and guide for all of us!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018

PS. I will try to get the transcript of Archbishop Hoser’s homily for us to ponder.

PPS. You can watch the entire evening with the Archbishop in the Archive on our home page entitled: Papal Envoy. It has all the video we have recorded of Archbishop Hoser so far.

https://marytv.tv/papal-envoy/

[johntt]

From the St James parish website:

• Sunday, July 22, was a special day, full of blessings for the parish of Medjugorje, but also for all of the pilgrims throughout the world who care much about Medjugorje parish. Already when the news arrived on May 31, 2018 when Holy Father’s appointed the Archbishop Hoser as the Apostolic Visitor with the special role for the parish of Medjugorje, everyone anxiously anticipated the day when his mission would finally start in Medjugorje. Last Thursday, we received the confirmation that Archbishop Hoser will start his mission with the Holy Mass this Sunday, parishioners and pilgrims were truly overwhelmed with joy. The huge area of the White Dome was fully packed before the beginning of the Holy Mass and they all prepared for the solemn celebration with the prayer of the Rosary. As the parish choir sang the entrance hymn, procession with Mons. Henryk Hoser, the Apostolic Visitor, Mons. Luigi Pezzuto, the Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Provincial of Herzegovina Franciscan Province Fr. Miljenko Šteko, parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Marinko Šakota, as well as many other priests who concelebrated at this Holy Mass. The celebration of the evening Holy Mass began when the letter of Holy Father was read on installment of the Archbishop Hoser. The Nuncio Luigi Pezzuto read the letter in Italian and Fr. Marinko Sakota, the parish priest read it in Croatian.
  
  Greeting and welcome words were given by the Provincial, Fr. Miljenko Steko, who emphasised how this Eucharist in Medjugorje is of the “historical importance” since we have here, with us, for the first time the Apostolic Nuncio, Mons. Luigi Pezzuto, who is the direct representative of the Holy Father and Apostolic Seat in Bosnia and Herzegovina.''
  
  -Thank you, your Excellency, for coming here and allow me to express you the most sincere welcome on behalf of all of us! Please pass on our gratitude to the Supreme Pontiff for his pastoral efforts in the Church, mainly in this appointment of the Apostolic Visitor, said Fr. Miljenko Steko, who also greeted the Archbishop Hoser.
  
  -Dear Archbishop Hoser! In this moment of grace, I wish to welcome you most sincerely on behalf of each one of us gathered here, as well as on behalf of all of you gathered here! On behalf of the Herzegovina Franciscan Province, I am wishing you blessed time among us here in the mission entrusted to you by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. We accept your coming here with the most respect and love, the mission entrusted to you by the Supreme Pontiff of Rome, the one presiding over the general Church Communion. May we all be renewed by the strength of the Holy Spirit, so from tonight, we would all advance on our pilgrimage journey under your guidance!, said Fr. Miljenko Steko.
  
  Holy Mass was in Latin, and Mons. Henryk Hoser was the main celebrant. In his homily, he said that Holy Father, as the universal shepherd of the Church, takes the words of the prophets and sends shepherds to the places were people live, where faithful gather seeking for the light of the salvation.
  
  Pilgrims from all over the world come to Medjugorje, from around 80 different countries of the world. The distance is their journey measured in miles and in order for one person to travel for that many miles, they need to be led by the strong and determined reason, as well as to have the means of transportation.
  
  However, the word “distance” is something else too, it refers to the existential situation of so many who are far from God, from Christ, from their Church and from the light that means the purpose of the life, or dignified goal, a life worth of living.
  
  Now we can understand better why Holy Father sent the Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje, since the pastoral care requires ensuring of the stabile and continuous guidance for the parish community in Medjugorje, for all pilgrims who are coming here on pilgrimages, and this brings us to the fundamental question – why so many people come to Medjugorje each year?
  
  The answer that is imposed is this: they come to encounter someone, to encounter God, to encounter Christ and to encounter His Mother, so they would discover the way that leads to the joy of living in a house of a Father and a Mother and finally, to discover the Marian way to God as the safest way of all. This is the way in which we honour Mary, something that takes place here for years, this is “the holy liturgy in which the peak of the wisdom and the faith dwells, and therefore, it is the primary task of God’s people”, said Mons. Hoser, and he added that there is a truly Christ-centric devotion at hand here in Medjugorje.
  
  The devotion in practice in Medjugorje has the Holy Mass in the centre, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, massive number of the confessions and reconciliations, all followed by other devotions and prayers of Rosary, the Way of the Cross that take place on hills whose rugged and sharp rocks are now polished pathways, said Mons. Hoser in his homily.
  
  This Holy Mass certainly marks the beginning of new era for Medjugorje and for all pilgrims and Fr. Marinko Sakota, the parish priest, at the end welcomed the Nuncio and the Holy Father for appointment of the Apostolic Visitor and he thanked Mons. Hoser for having accepted this mission and coming to Medjugorje. Fr. Marinko presented him a gift on behalf of the parish – the Holy Scripture and flowers. Along with thousands of pilgrims, there were 118 priests concelebrating, as well as the Bishop Guido Gallese, Bishop of Alessandria from Italy

http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/news/holy-s ... ,9866.html