10,000 attended Bethlehem apparition

August 25, 2013

[Source: Medjugorje Today]

Massive turnout of people witnessed visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s public apparition in an auditorium in Bethlehem on August 25. Three days before, the atmosphere was more private during apparition in the biblical Gethsemane Garden. Vicka returns to Medjugorje on Monday.

Vicka during her apparition in Bethlehem, with Fr. Petar Ljubicic far left, and local organizer Charbel Maroun in the middle. Photo: Jeries Photography / Facebook

Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s public apparition in the auditorium of Terra Sancta College for Boys in Bethlehem on Sunday was attended by about 10,000 people with more standing outside.

“I guess there were 10,000. There were 5,000 seats and the scouts who were blocking the doors were overwhelmed with what seemed like double the amount arriving” Liam Driver, the leader of the British delegation with the Maranatha pilgrimage, tells Medjugorje Today.

Vicka with British delegation leader Liam Driver on Mt. Tabor. Photo: Rachel Adams

Vicka with British delegation leader Liam Driver on Mt. Tabor. Photo: Rachel Adams

“They said to me ‘Really, we did not expect so many people. We prepared 5000 seats and thought that would be enough. Now many more are coming we are finding it hard to block the doors’” says Liam Driver.

The crowd was enthusiastic and greeted Vicka by singing Ave Maria when she entered the stage before the apparition.”It was quite incredible. The apparitions were on big screens so everyone would see Vicka crash on her knees. Sometimes there would be a round of applause and people crying out in wonder because everyone witnessed it” Liam Driver tells.

“There was a big giant curtain like Our Ladys mantle and when Our Lady went, the mantle fell gracefully down on the people beneath it. Everyone bursted into applause” he says.

The apparition in Bethlehem was the last public one during Vicka’s week-long stay with the first international Maranatha pilgrimage. She will return to Medjugorje on Monday.

On August 22, only the 550 pilgrimage participants were present at Vicka’s apparition in the biblical Garden of Gethsemane.

In between, Vicka’s apparition on August 23 took place in St. Anthony’s Church in Jaffa. The Franciscan Monastery of San Salvatore in Jerusalem lent ground to the apparition on August 24 which took place in private.

“But Vicka told me that during the appariton on August 24, Our Lady blessed all of us and asked us to “pray for the heart of the Church, and for the entire Church” Brazilian delegation leader Gabriel Paulino tells Medjugorje Today.