On the day of June 24th, 1981, Mirjana Dragicevic and Ivanka Ivankovic were visited by the Virgin Mary in a village of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The day after, the 25th, four others were present by another visit (Marija Pavlovic, Jakov Colo, Vicka Ivankovic and Ivan Dragicevic. All six reported seeing Mary on Podbrdo Hill appearing as a young woman cradling an infant. The next day all six reported seeing her again.
Since then, the 6 visionaries have had multiple visions of Mary with several secrets and stories passed down by her to them. Pilgrims to Medjugorje report several miraculous events occurring - often there are large numbers of pilgrims who have their faith either renewed or are converted, pilgrims report often the sun "dancing" in the sky, and there are numerous reports of rosaries turning gold.
Vicka Ivankovic
Vicka was born in 1964, at the village of Bijakovici and was 16 at the time she first witnessed the Virgin Mary's appearance. She swears to having daily visions from Mary, sometimes up to five times a day. Mary informed her to write a biography of her life, telling her what to write between 1983 and 1985 but not to publish it until told to do so. She has also reported that she was given 10 secrets for humanity, the world, then Medugorje, then Yugoslavia, and then for other areas.
Mirjana Dragicevic
Mirjana Dragicevic was born in 1965 in Sarajevo and was 15 at the time she first witnessed the apparitions. Between 1981 and 1982 she experienced daily visions that abruptly stopped - after being depressed and wishing to see her again, Mary left her a gift on her birthday the following year and visits her on the 2nd day of each month exactly between 10 and 11 AM.
Marija Pavlovic
Marija was born in 1965 in Bijakovici and was also 15 at the time. When asked why she never became a nun, she replied:
"Through all those years I thought I'm gonna be a nun. I started visiting a monastery; my desire to go there was very strong. But the abbess told me: "Marija, if you tend to join, you can, but if Bishop decides that you cannot talk about Međugorje, you must listen to him." In that moment, I started to think that my calling is perhaps that I witness to what I saw and felt, and that I will seek my sainthood outside the monastery."
She has daily visits from Mary and reports that she holds 9 secrets herself. She married Paolo Lunetti in Milan in 1993 and lives in Monza.
Ivan Dragicevic
Ivan was born in Mostar in 1965 and was 15 at the time of the apparitions. Afterwards, he joined the seminary in Visoko where he had daily visions of Mary. In one vision, Mary came to an image of Jesus and said "Angel, this is your Father"
Ivan married Laureen Murphy in 1994 and currently lives in Boston.
Ivanka Ivankovic
Born in Bijakovici in 1966, she was 14 at the time of the apparition. Like Ivan Dragicevic and Vicka Dragicevic, she participated in hearing the biography of Mary in 1983. Until 1985, she had daily visions of Mary, afterwards she claims it only happens once a year and was granted the tenth secret.
Jakov Colo
Jakov was likewise born in Bijakovici in 1971 and was the youngest of the group, being only 10 years old at the first apparition. From 1981 to 1998, he had daily visits, afterwards the apparition comes to him only on Christmas day. He married Anna-Lisa Barozzi in 1993 and lives in Medugorje.
For the many, many messages given by the Virgin Mary, please visit https://www.medjugorje.org/ol5step.htm or read part 2 (coming soon!)