Last updated 6 October 2002

24 June 2000 (Day 5)

Feast of St John the Baptist

After breakfast, our group visited Community Cenacolo - a community founded by Sister Elvira to help boys and men with addiction problems, including drugs. We heard two beautiful testimonies by a 21-year-old and a 27-year-old of not only their rehabilitation, but also how they met God and how they found their way of life. This community does not have doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists or other health professionals. The boys here lead a life of prayer and hard work. They live on Providence too.

English mass at noon was celebrated by a resident priest, formerly from the States. In his very powerful sermon, he extended his explanation of the Jewish tradition of circumcision, which represents the covenant between man and God, to the circumcision of the ear, the lips and the heart. He also noted how 24 June cuts the year into halves, and illustrated how we should decrease, like the hours of daylight after this date (in the northern hemisphere) till 24 December the Eve of Birth of Jesus, and how Jesus is to increase in our lives.

Our group met up at 4.30pm for a sharing session. It is truly the graces, which Mary had obtained for us that I could say that all in the group had a profound spiritual renewal in this little hamlet of peace.

We then joined in the praying of the Rosary at 6pm and Croatian Mass at 7pm. After dinner, pilgrims and local parishioners gather again behind the St. James Church for the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Photos

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The statue of Our Lady carrying Baby Jesus at Community Cenacolo.

In the little chapel where we heard the testimonies of these two men. This chapel was the first building they built when the community was founded.

The Community survives on God's Divine Providence. They have a gift shop where they sell many beautiful articles that were made by the people in the community.

6.00pm: Rosary time again. The benches were full by that time but we managed to find a shady spot on the ground next to the grape vines. We meditated on the Joyful and part of the Sorrowful and it was time of the Apparition again.

7.00pm: By the time the International Mass started, the whole place was packed.

A large statue of the Risen Christ located a distance away at the back of the Church.