Father Jozo Zovko, O.F.M., the priest most recognized with the apparitions
and spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. His selection came
from the many readers who believe in the message of Medjugorje
which Father Jozo continues to emphasize today, the same message
imparted to saints for centuries including Saint John Bosco
through his vision of the two pillars - the Eucharist and
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate Heart. He
has often been called the "Eucharistic priest."
While this term should apply to all priests because of the
immense privilege and right they are afforded through the
Sacrament of Holy Orders, Father Jozo is constantly upholding
the Eucharist as the answer to all our questions.
How fitting it was that he was called Jozo for in Croatian
it means Joseph and he was born on that great saint's feast
day - March 19, 1941 in the village of Uzari in the parish
of Siroki Brijeg, where he is assigned today at the Franciscan
monastery. He was the eighth of ten children born to Mate
and Milka Zovko and the times were tough for World War II
was in full force, but the family survived and little Jozo
finished his primary grade school first in Uzari, then Siroki
Brijeg before realizing he had a vocation to the priesthood.
He entered the seminary in Bol on the island of Brac directly
south of Split in the Adriatic Sea. He transfered to the major
seminary in Sarajevo after Novitiate and at the age of 26
was enrolled at Ljubljana University receiving his degree
in Theology. He was ordained in Sarajevo on August 6, 1967.
He was assigned to the Gratz University in Austria to continue
studies.
Upon graduating in the early seventies he returned to his
homeland of Yugoslavia where communism ruled. Though the communist
regime allowed worship, they frowned on those who were too
faithful. One of those was Father Jozo. Because of his deep
faith, his devotion to God and because of his tremendous influence
in the parishes where he was assigned, the communists influenced
the local bishop to transfer him often. It must be understood
that the bishops were selected at that time and all the way
up until after the fall of the communistic regime in the early
nineties, by approval of the communist authorities in Belgrade.
This included Bishop Zanic and the present prelate Bishop
Peric. It was often a tough call for the Vatican but the Holy
See realized it was the only way to prevent total persecution
of the Church. It's also interesting to note that the two
bishops in question who have ruled against Medjugorje, the
Vatican has taken jurisdiction on ruling on Medjugorje out
of their hands in unprecedented moves. That and the long history
of the Franciscans' loyalty to the people and the Church should
shed some light on the current flap between the bishops and
Franciscans regarding Medjugorje and which have been totally
blown out of proportion in accusing the Franciscans of being
disobedient. Nothing could be further from the truth and the
Franciscans continue to operate in Medjugorje at St. James
and surrounding areas of Bosnia within the Diocese of Mostar
because of Vatican intervention. The Holy See is well aware
of the politics and corruption of past bishoprics because
of communist influence.
It was into this atmosphere that Father Jozo was transferred
to St. James parish in Medjugorje, which, in Croatian means
"between two mountains." This agricultural valley
was a small village where the Faith was practiced but not
with the devotion expected. Father Jozo began to preach and
entreat the people to return to the Sacraments, to live their
Faith. He was like "John the Baptist" if you will
for, without him realizing it, he was preparing the parish
for what was to come eight months after he had been assigned
to St. James as the new pastor. On June 24, 1981, while he
was on retreat in Croatia, the Blessed Mother is reported
to have appeared on the Podrbo, also called "Apparition
Hill." Medjugorje would never be the same, nor would
Father Jozo.
When he first was told of the apparitions, he felt the children
- Mirjana Dragicevic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Maria Pavlovic, Ivan
Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic and Jakov Colo - were all pulling
a prank. He chastised them for such tales and the seriousness
of such claims. To his surprise, rather than the children
coming clean and admitting it was a hoax, they stuck to their
story insisting the "Gospa" had appeared to them.
Still he didn't believe until he knelt in St. James alone
one morning after Mass and heard a Heavenly voice say, "Protect
the children." Almost immediately they came flying into
the rectory, out of breath with the communist soldiers in
pursuit. He knew instantly it was no hoax and sought to give
the six young ones sanctuary. For this he paid the price.
He was summoned to communist headquarters in Mostar where
he was accused of provoking an uprising by spurring the children
to fabricate the apparitions and get the parishioners stirred
up against the communists. They ordered him to suppress the
movement in Medjugorje as more and more were flocking to this
village as news spread. Had they called him in one week earlier,
before he heard the voice which he knew instinctively was
from God, he might have complied. But he could not go against
God's charge. Therefore he refused and, after a kangaroo court,
was sentenced to three years of prison. The sentence in communistic
incarceration was commuted to half that following the pressure
applied on the Yugoslav government by the faithful in Medjugorje
and surrounding areas as well as others outside the country
who had heard of the phenomena and the travesties against
him.
In the spring of 1983, Father Jozo was released and transferred
to St. Elijah in Tihaljina. It was here where we first came
in contact with this holy priest. It was May of 1990 during
our first pilgrimage to Medjugorje, one that would forever
change our life. We were kneeling at the communion rail after
his inspiring two hour talk in which he blessed each person
afterwards. It was a throwback to the old way of receiving
Our Lord at Holy Communion, except this time it was the Holy
Spirit Who came through the charisma of Father Jozo; for as
we knelt immediately in front of that beautiful, famous statue
of Our Lady, known as "Our Lady of Tihaljina" we
could feel the power of the Advocate. As he placed his hands
on our head, a warmth never before felt came over us and were
slain in the Spirit for the first time ever in the most relaxing,
peacefilled mode ever experienced.
This charism has been experienced by millions who have flocked
to Medjugorje and made side trips to Tihaljina and now the
monastery in Siroki Brijeg to hear and be touched by this
amazing priest. He continued to receive pilgrims, preaching
and touching them until 1992 when the war in Croatia and then
Bosnia-Herzegovina prevented this. He turned his attentions
to helping his people, making trips to London, Washington,
New York, Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg and Rome on a peace
mission trying to persuade political leaders to help stop
the killing and suffering of innocent people. It was the same
kind of mission Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo just returned from
concerning his beleaguered and suffering flock in East Timor.
Just as he had been called by Heaven to "Protect the
children" when the six visionaries were threatened, so
also he has been called by God to protect the children ravaged
by war and hate. He helped establish the International Godparenthood
which served as a vehicle for people the world over to adopt
a Godchild from among the many whose parents were killed in
the devastating war that slaughtered 280,000 over a four-year
period and destroyed countless homes and churches throughout
Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was established on December
20, 1992 with Father Jozo as president of the association.
Today over 4,000 children are cared for spiritually and financially
in Siroki Brijeg through this organization. There is also
the Holy Family Institute which he is involved with which
sponsors a children's renewal center in Siroki Brijeg serving
as a clearing house for people of all faiths in rebuilding
and getting back on their feet after the devastation of war.
The center provides food, shelter, clothing and the opportunity
to educate all as to the sacredness of human dignity. The
center is, as Father Jozo explains, "a monument of love..the
monument that speaks to all generations here as to what love
has done by reestablishing themselves in society for the good."
While he has sponsored and approved of many organizations,
he has also been used by some. One such was the "Nine
Novenas of Prayer" in which the organizers illegally
signed his name to it. He took umbrage for much of the appeal
dealt with a forboding apocalyptic tone full of fear and fatalistic
threats. Father Jozo renounced that as he wrote, "In
through these fatalistic and threatening texts are obviously
contrary to the messages of the Queen of Peace who for eighteen
years as a mother has been arousing, instructing and inspiring
millions of pilgrims and followers toward an apostolate of
prayer and fasting."
Another project that did not have his blessings and which
he was not consulted on was the movie "Gospa", a
poorly done portrayal of him played by Martin Sheen in which
the facts were misrepresented and he was made to look like
a priest more interested in his image than souls. Nothing
could be further from the truth for he is a man who speaks
from the heart - a heart that reveals a selflessness and total
surrender to God's Will. Even though "Gospa" was
promoted to aid the refugees, it died a quick death because
it was not faithful to the life of Father Jozo and his own
sister Sister Fabiana, a humble, obedient nun who in no way
represents the Hollywood image conveyed by Morgan Fairchild
in the part of Sister Fabiana. In an interview in 1995, Father
Jozo refuted most of what was in the movie.
Since 1992 he has been stationed at the Franciscan monastery
in Siroki Brijeg just a short way from where he was born.
But he has also traveled the world, from the far east, the
mid east, Americas and throughout Europe and Africa spreading
the message of Medjugorje and the vital importance of the
Eucharist which are intrinsically linked as Father says, "Place
your life upon the altar. You will witness how a priest will
place a drop of water within a chalice full of wine. That
drop of water intermingles with the wine and signifies you
in the Holy Mass. You can become one, unite with and intermingle
with Jesus. That is why the Holy Mass is called Communion
- union with God - you and your God together - that is the
Holy Eucharist." He also pointed out this link before
Mass in Portland, Oregon a few years ago which we have taken
from www.medjugorje.org, "Why is it that churches and
sects do not tolerate the Mass, do not respect Our Lady? Because
they go hand-in-hand. Yes, they go together. Our Lady teaches
to come to love Jesus, to fall in love with Him, and that
is why she places us before the Holy Eucharist, and pleads
with us to pray before this holy, Blessed Sacrament, so from
Jesus we may learn to become bread for others; so that I not
have fear to say, 'Take this, all of you, of Me, and eat of
it.'...Our Lady works in miraculous ways. She was always the
sign, the sign of a better world, the sign of peace and unit
in the Church, the sign of our salvation."
Father Jozo has been persecuted, imprisoned, denigrated
and accused of unspeakable sins from graft to child abuse.
What is his defense against all of this? "Father, forgive
them. They know not what they do." He can be found innumerable
hours a day before the Tabernacle in prayer, pleading not
for his own will and reputation but for God's Will to be done
no matter the consequences. He epitomizes the priests of Medjugorje
who day-in-day-out are ridiculed and placed under the magnifying
glass of scrutiny - men like Father Svetozar Kraljivec, OFM,
another very humble and holy priest whose heroic acts during
the war have gone untold at his request; Father Ivan Landeka,
OFM, the current pastor of St. James, Father Slavko Barbaric,
OFM, who was the voter's choice for the 41st selection of
the TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY on October 14th; Father
Petar Ljubicic, OFM, the priest whom visionary Mirjana Dragicevic
has selected to receive and announce the ten secrets when
Our Lady says to do so; Father Philip Pavic, OFM, the American-born
Franciscan who serves the English-speaking pilgrims in Medjugorje
and has come to be known as the loveable ol' curmudgeon with
a cynical streak; Father Tomislav Vlasic, OFM, Father Ivan
Dugandzic, OFM;Father Tomislav Pervan, OFM, now the Franciscan
provincial, and Father Ljudevit Rupcic, OFM who we personally
interviewed extensively along with Archbishop Frane Franic,
the former Archbishop of Split who was instrumental in the
Vatican taking the matter out of the local ordinary of Mostar's
hands.
Today, at 58 Father Jozo continues to minister to the people
of Siroki Brijeg and the countless pilgrims who come to hear
and be inspired. He also continues to travel the globe bringing
Our Lady's message to all. When asked about the criticism
that Medjugorje has become a commercial venture, he winces
but admits, "Our Lady is so pure that I would like the
entrance to her shrine to be clean, with no shops at all.
But I also understand that the people want to take something
home, to remember their visit. This is something that happens
in all famous places." He is truly correct in this which
can be corroborated if one ever visited Guadalupe, Lourdes
or Fatima. They all have vendors coming out of the woodwork,
as does the Vatican.
When asked about the fact the apparitions continue to this
day after an unprecedented eighteen and a half years, he doesn't
hesitate in affirming that "A made-up story could not
last this long. And it couldn't be satan's work. Satan doesn't
call for prayer and conversion." And this is what Father
Jozo continues to preach with every waking breath - prayer
and conversion! In this humble, charismatic Franciscan is
embodied the messages of Medjugorje.
