A journey of faith and family
The Story of Michelle
Miracles can happen in Medjugorje. I have heard stories from friends who experienced extraordinary moments there, but never did I expect that my very own miracle would happen during a life- changing trip to Bosnia and Hercegovina.
How I met my miracle in Medjugorje
My great grandfather and his brother left their hometown of Ljubuski in Bosnia and Hercegovina to start a new life in the USA in 1909. They left behind their families, including another brother, and livelihoods.
Over the years, my American family lost touch with our remaining relatives in Bosnia, so my family and I decided it was time to organise the trip of a lifetime to Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina to try to track down any remaining family members there.
When we arrived in Croatian town of Split, we asked our taxi driver if he was familiar with our family name, Granich. He was and took us over the border to Bosnia and Hercegovina to a small village named Granici near Ljubuski. When we arrived in the village - so small it spans just a road with around 20 houses - we pulled up outside a house with man sat outside.
We introduced ourselves and asked if he spoke English. The man ushered out his son and we explained that we had travelled all the way from America to find out long-lost family who hailed from the area. The son told us that they were in fact Granich family and invited us to dine with them. At the dinner table, the gentleman handed us some photos. I couldn't believe my eyes! The photos he gave to us were the same ones we have at home of our grandfather and his family. They are the descendants of the brother who stayed behind. They are our family!
The true miracle of Medjugorje
I didn't plan to visit the pilgrimage town of Medjugorje until I found out, about one month before I arrived, that Medjugorje's annual youth festival Mladifest was taking place at the end of our time in Croatia. As an employee of Mary's Meals USA, a visit to Mladifest was an unmissable opportunity to meet members of the Mary's Meals global family in special town rooted in the organisation's history, so I began planning my journey there straight away.
When I arrived, I was immediately struck by how peaceful and spiritual the town was. I couldn't believe that I was in the place where the foundations of Mary's Meals were laid all those years ago. There I was at the infamous Mary's Meals information centre (known as "the blue container" because it's repurposed shipping container painted blue in the heart of Medjugorje) meeting others who share the belief that Food + School = Hope. No matter where you went in the town, you felt the heart of Mary's Meals beating.
During my time in Medjugorje, I experienced the joy of young people and the love of faith and prayer. I was able to have dinner with my cousins. It was no small miracle that more than 100 years after my great grandfather packed up his life in search of new opportunities in America, we were here reconnecting with our roots in the part of the world where his story began.
I wasn't looking for a miracle when I visited Medjugorje, but I experienced a joy beyond words, and I was reminded of my family's faith to leave their home and start over in a foreign country. Maybe you come to Medjugorje and something truly magical happens, or happens when you return home. Or perhaps the miracles happen in Medjugorje.
I will return again to Medjugorje, not searching for a miracle but with the awareness that it already exists in the love my Lord has for me. And this awareness will continue to fuel my passion for my work with Mary's Meals at home in the USA, where I help to spread the word about our work and raise funds for the school feeding programme by organising events.
