A series of acts of vandalism struck the Marian shrine at Medjugorje early Monday morning, damaging sacred images and setting fire to an outdoor altar just days before thousands of young pilgrims are expected to gather for the annual International Youth Festival.
According to Vatican News, the Parish of Medjugorje responded to the attacks by urging the faithful to reject anger and instead answer the violence with prayer, fasting, and forgiveness.
“It is with great sadness that we received the news of the act of vandalism,” the Medjugorje Parish Office said in a statement, adding that cleanup and restoration efforts began immediately so the affected prayer sites could once again be prepared for pilgrims.
The parish expressed gratitude to those helping repair the damage, saying their work would help preserve the shrine as “a place of encounter with God, a place of peace.”
Authorities said the first report was received at approximately 4:30 a.m. after an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, was found defaced with black paint and offensive messages. About 30 minutes later, police were notified that a fire had been deliberately set at the outdoor altar behind St. James Church.
According to Vatican News, surveillance footage reportedly shows a man pouring what investigators believe was petrol over the altar before igniting it. The fire was quickly extinguished, and police later arrested a suspect in the nearby Ljubuški area. Officials have not released the individual’s identity or nationality, and investigators are continuing to determine whether the suspect was responsible for all of the reported incidents.
LifeSiteNews reported that additional acts of vandalism included graffiti and banners placed around the shrine, along with black paint sprayed on several statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Messages found at the scene reportedly included anti-Marian statements, while another banner written in Polish accused the six individuals associated with the reported Medjugorje apparitions of deception.
According to LifeSiteNews, police are continuing their investigation and have not determined who produced the various messages or whether they were all carried out by the same individual or group.
Rather than focusing on the attackers, the parish called Catholics to respond as disciples of Christ.
“We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act,” the parish said, asking the Lord to touch them with His grace and lead them “on the path of goodness.”
The statement also encouraged the faithful “not to return evil for evil,” but instead to bear witness through lives marked by “love, forgiveness, and hope.”
The incidents come just before the 37th International Youth Festival, known as Mladifest, scheduled for August 1–6. This year’s theme is “Ad fontem! To the source! At the school of Our Lady.”
According to Vatican News, despite the damage, the shrine remains open, its regular schedule of prayer continues, and restoration work is proceeding so pilgrims may continue to visit the site.
Medjugorje has welcomed millions of pilgrims since reports of Marian apparitions first emerged there in 1981. In September 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the approval of Pope Francis, issued a nihil obstat regarding the spiritual experience connected with Medjugorje. As Vatican News reported, the decision recognized the positive spiritual fruits associated with the shrine and permitted public devotion while making no declaration regarding the supernatural nature of the reported apparitions.
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