When the children first started to speak of the apparitions, Father Jozo was doubtful that it was more than the excited imaginations of the young. Still, talk of the apparitions was dangerous in an area of Communist oppression. He was torn between trying to keep his parish and the suddenly arriving pilgrims calm and centered and taking care of their spiritual needs and making sense out of the stories of the apparitions.. if indeed they had occurred. It wasn't long before he was convinced that the children were seeing the Gospa and that something wonderful was happening to his St. James parish that would soon affect the world through the Gospa's messages given there.

Towards the end of July, 1981, while Father Jozo was praying inside of St. James, he heard a male voice tell him: "Go outside and protect the children.". Upon opening the door of the church, he found all six visionaries, Ivanka, Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana and Vicka frightened of the police and begging for help. He gave them sanctuary in the rectory.

After refusing the order to close St. James, Father Jozo Zovko was arrested on August 17, 1981.. barely two months after the first apparition. He was tried and convicted on charges of subversion against the (Communist) state. He was sentenced to three and a half years hard labor.

Despite the many cruel and horrendous tortures he endured while imprisoned, his faith remained strong and grew. Unable to cope with such devoutness in the face of their extensive cruelty as well as the increasing political pressure against his imprisonment, the Communists released Father Jozo after 18 months on the condition he never return to St. James as pastor.

Father Jozo now travels through the world and speaks of the Gospa's messages. He speaks of the immeasurable love of Jesus and he asks us all to respond to the call with all of our hearts. And he teaches these very things by his words and his example.

One project that is very close to Father Jozo's heart is taking care of the many children who became orphans through the Bosnian War. He has established the non-profit "International Godparenthood for the Herceg Bosnian Child." and all fees from his speaking engagements go to help the orphans. You may find a link to learn more about Father Jozo's Godparenthood program on our Favorite Links page. Father Jozo Zovko O.F.M. is also author of the book "as she asks" with Geraldine Hemmings and Carrie Swearingen.

Below are excerpts of a speech Father Jozo gave to the pilgrims visiting Medjugorje on October 4, 1998, the day after the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. In the interest of keeping the flavor and the intent intact, there has been no editing of the vocabulary or syntax changed as Father Jozo's comments were translated into English as he spoke.

I am overjoyed that I am able to greet you and I thank you for having responded to the call. The call of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace. . Thankful that it was not too far for you to come. Thank you for not being afraid that your plane would not crash into the ocean.

Yesterday was the feast day of a great man.. You see how he stands in our midst. Our brother, our interceptor, St. Francis. He, after inspiring us for 8 centuries.. inspiring the young and the old the sick and the healthy and when he felt that his generation was destroying everything. When even in our generation we are destroying our nature, it has come to mind to consecrate and dedicate everything to him. And this our hope. A desire to have a great dialog amongst religions and his, too.

The Holy Father came to the tomb of this great man, this little brother Francis, to start this great dialog amongst religions. And it is a great state, a monumental state when all people from various religions, various parts of the world came and prayed at his tomb together. He is the man who left behind his sword and his sheath and he took the crop. Here is a man who left his precious horse and replaced him with bare feet and sandals. Here is the man who exchanged his very precious garments all decorated with real gold and even fur and instead has taken on poverty. This is what we dont know how to do. This is what I can not do and I dont know how to do. And this man that stands before me in inspirations saying to me: "You also can." And I'm deeply convinced that I can. And each time I think of him.. when I look at him, when I meet him in my heart, he tells me: &quotDo not be afraid, you can do likewise."

I'm so glad that you came on this precious saint's feast day. After today, I am certain you will love him more, you will respect him more. St. Francis as a young man was always in tears. A man filled with the greatest joy, always wiping away tears. And his brothers asked him.. why are you crying? Why are you always crying? You look at the cross and you cry. You teach an assignment and you cry. You see the sign as you cross the road and you cry and you wipe away your tears. Why are you crying?

And St. Francis responded and said: "Because I don't love. I don't know how to love. It is my desire that I learn how to love. And then he turned to his brothers and said: "My brothers look.. as he pointed to Jesus saying .. Love is not love. I desire to learn how to love."

Eight centuries later in Medjugorje, Our Lady speaks to us and says: "Dear children. How is it that you dont know how to love Jesus? How is it that you dont know how to love his cross and his wounds? Look at his wounds. Looks at the cross and learn how to love." And what we do we learn when we look at the cross. We learn so much. We learn most that we can learn.. we gain the greatest lessons of love. Before the cross we learn how to love. And love means to give our life for others. I live live for others. Yes, I can learn to live for others. And it is a continual event to do more. To be more an image of Jesus. In the last message Our Lady says to us: "Dear children. I desire to call you to live the faith of your fathers. To return to the faith of your fathers."

Yesterday you were in Split. Why? That you may learn together with the Holy Father the faith of a nation.. of the church. In that city where many of you were yesterday with the Holy Father, the oldest known cathedral today is there. An older cathedral does not exist. The persecutor of the church 1100 years ago made himself a most beautiful tomb, like a Roman Emperor on the site. And he wanted to die in the most beautiful city of his kingdom. And then thats why he has placed his castle on the edge of the ocean. He built on the land his tomb. But he was talked into murdering the bishop who was found in the vicinity of that village. There, where the Holy Father was with the young yesterday afternoon. And he was the one who was talked into persecuting the followers of Christ. And the Roman Emperor became an executor and a murder. And he died. And it is in his tomb that the Christians brought their martyr, their saint, their bishop. In the mean time freedom came. And the successor of the Emperor said: "No Christians are allowed to be persecuted by decree." And in the mausoleum that the king had built for himself, the Christians placed their bishop. And to the living bishop at the time they built everything next to their cathedral. And thats why Our father came to celebrate the great strength of faith of martyrdom in this city. But, the city does celebrate 1700 years of its diocese of its city . That is the faith of your father who was prepared to die for Jesus.

Today, you are in relatively desolate area. For us, who are born here, it is beautiful. For example we have other Brother Eustive here.. and he's been a priest for 33 years and he lives in the diocese in the US. And although he no longer lives here, he's always happy to return here. Because it the love of this beautiful place always remains. And for those that loves this place, it is never desolate, it is never a desert but, it is always home.

And for you it will become that place. And do you know why? Because this place was consecrated to Our Lady. 150 years ago it was consecrated to her. The church was built at that time. 50 years ago when the communists came, when the church was celebrating its 100th anniversary of the monastery. It was the communists that came and said there was no more God. And when they came they found 30 Franciscans. 30 professors of the adjacent seminary. And they told them there was no more God. That their church was dead. And there was no more church and no more pope and that there was no more need for that. They told them that their life was superficial. They told the Franciscans to remove their habits. To leave their faith and go into the world.

But, they could not. and they said: "No, we can not leave." When the enemy recognized that the Franciscans were so full of faith and conviction, an enraged soldier took the crucifix from the wall and threw it at the feet of the Franciscans. Present were the children who were in the school of students they were teaching. And it was before those children, the communists said to the Franciscans: "Now you may choose. Life or Death." Each one of them chose Jesus. So warmly they embraced Him! They kissed Him. And the confessed the great one thing. And they said: "You are my Father and my everything. You are everything and I am nothing." One by one they were taken outside and thrown into the flames. But, some they went knowing full well where they were going. They went with blessings. And the enemies that are alive today, witnesses say.. "As we were persecuting them, they were praying for us. As we cursed them, they rejoiced and celebrated God and they sang." What a great step that was. Being thrown into flames. This is the faith of the your Fathers. This is the faith of your fathers.