In 1989, Sister Emmanuel Maillard, a nun who belonged to the Beatitudes Community in France, was sent by her community to Medjugorje. There she founded the first branch of the community. During the war in the 1990’s, she was active in reporting the conditions in Herzegovina, which she always related to Our Lady’s mission.
In time, her group of lay apostolates was formed into an organization called Children of Medjugorje (COM). It is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the five simple messages of Our Lady:
- Praying the Rosary
- Fasting
- Scripture Reading
- Holy Mass
- Confession
Inspired by Our Lady, COM strives to encourage and maintain Christian formation of conscience everywhere.
Sister Emmanuel lives in Medjugorje, and regularly gives talks to pilgrims, mostly on how to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary while reciting the prayers. She also travels widely to promote Our Lady’s messages, and has written many books, which have been translated into 22 languages.