Father slavko barbaric biography of christopher

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina — At the Franciscan monastery of Siroki Brijeg, in the barren countryside of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a ghostly pale woman on a pilgrimage from Boston told her story.

Her name is Fran Russell and she first came here last year, when her doctors said her back condition was worse and she would soon be confined to bed. In what she expected to be her last act of mobility, the year-old health care worker traveled to the village of Medjugorje, a pilgrim site near the monastery.

“I came to hear Father Jozo speak,” said Russell of the priest standing beside her. He wears the brown robes of a Franciscan. His eyes sparkle like black opals.

Jozo Zovko is a legendary figure in this part of the world. Many believe he is able to heal the sick by touching them as he prays for them. A side trip to his remote monastery is required for anyone who wants the full Medjugorje tour.

For 15 years, the village has been a hothouse of mysticism and miracles, all the more compelling for being in this country torn to ruins by ethnic and religious war.

The village is set high above the Dalmatian coast, 80 miles southeast of Sarajevo in one of the poorest parts of the country. It is a farming community of 1, people that blossoms with fruit trees in April. In recent years the villagers have witnessed extraordinary events, and Zovko has been at the center of them.

In , he was among the first to believe six teenagers when they described a vision of the Virgin Mary. They said they saw her in the flinty hills above Medjugorje. The next day after school they saw her again. By then, most of the neighbors knew about it. People ripped through the brambles for a closer look, but only the six saw her.

The apparitions continued. For several years the teenagers met with the Virgin in the local Catholic church, St. James. They would pray together and she would give them a message for the parish.

Four of the visionaries continue to see her

Fr. Slavko Barbaric resided in Medjugorje from He suddenly passed away on November 24, We will miss him greatly and were moved and inspired by his insightful talks and written commentaries throughout the years. We can all be comforted by Our Lady's monthly message a day after his death, which said: "I rejoice with you and I desire to tell you that your brother Slavko has been born into Heaven and intercedes for you."Fr. Slavko wrote many books about the messages of Medjugorje, and was very involved with the millions of pilgrims that visited from all over the world. He led Adoration, Veneration, fasting retreats, heard confessions, and countless other activities based on Our Lady's messages in Medjugorje. He founded Mothers Village; An orphange on the north edge of Medjugorje. He also worked with Cenacolo; A community in Medjugorje that does amazing work with men and women struggling with addictions. Fr. Slavko was a man of deep faith and insight that truly led the life of a saint.