Medjugorgie- Day 3, The Castle.

The 'Castel' built by American business man Patrick and wife Mary after he and his wife came to faith due to experience in Medjugorgie. It is now used host priests and seminarians who wish to visit Medjugorgie. They do not accept any payment but be warned they will get you working around the property and Medjugorgie, with many of the outreach programs they run.

On the way back to apparition hill on Wednesday we ran into a couple who were from the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary community. They were searching for a priest to celebrate mass on the Friday for them as they would be without a priest for a Day. Fr. Richard agreed to help them out so we went along on the Thursday morning to see their community.

The devotion was started by an Hungarian mystic in the 60's, and basically adds a short line in the Rosary of the Holy Mary prayer with

Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners, spread the effect of grace of Thy Flame of Love over all of humanity, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The chapel of the Flame of Love community, with a giant picture of Mary on the wall.

A flyer of the community.

And the prayer.

After morning Mass and Rosary with the flame of love community we headed off to the 'Castle'.

We arrived unannounced and we were treated to a feast of morning tea and engaging discussion, hospitality is Nancy's forte.

Nancy showed us around their

property including three chapels at various stages of completion and endless stone landscaping.

A Divine Mercy statue.

A Pieta at the entrance. Patric and Nancy insist that all the building and charity rely on providence.

After lunch with the New Horizons community we returned to Medjugorgie and were given a tour of the Cenacelo community grounds. Fr Richard with three English ladies staying at the New Horizons community being shown how the men in Cenacelo have to do their clothes washing, by a member of Cenacelo ( face intentionally blocked out) whom Fr Richard had met before in Rome. The clothes washing is done by hand in concrete tubs.

With all the building projects going on they have their own industrial stone cutting workshop.

Stone cutting workshop with giant cutting wheel.

Along with the stone cutting workshop, there was a timber workshop with industrial size equipment, metalwork and electrical shops. But the most loved area of the grounds was the half size soccer pitch where the guys would battle it out in 6-a-side games that are fiercely contested.

An outdoor chapel in the Cenacolo grounds.

Evening time came and we went down to the evening outdoor adoration at the back of St James the Greater Church, and adorned the Lord with hundreds of other pilgrims.

We finished the night off with the New Horizons community with dinner at a local restaurant. Pizzas all round! Fr Richard and myself at the end of the table.