The Sakramento Peace Centre
The Peace Center is situated on #59 King Tomislav Street (Croatian: ulica Kralja Tomislava 59). We are about 15 minutes’ walk from the Church of St James in Medjugorje, on the way to the Village of the Mother and the Garden of St Francis, wonderful places in Medjugorje, relatively unknown to pilgrims, and of which we are emotionally close through a long history of friendship with the late Father Slavko.
A little history: the construction of our Peace Centre with its various ministries was dreamed of with Father Slavko Barbaric in 1994-95. The project was developed at the Church of St James, in the confessional where Father Slavko would hear confessions several hours each day. We spoke for two hours – the penitents outside must have been wondering what I had done to stay two full hours in the confessional! Father Slavko was enthusiastic about the project and as always when he loved a project he tried to help make it happen. For this purpose, he gave us a large red brick house near the Cenacle community. This « red house « project did not succeed because there were administrative problems related to the land on which it had been built. Later we helped Father Slavko with other projects including the construction of the Mother’s Village. Then Father Slavko died in 2000. It was only in 2008 that we started the construction of the current building, its dimensions are smaller than the famous « red house « but all the elements we had talked about and dreamed of with Father Slavko are united there. It took us years but we were able to complete the project.
The Sakramento Peace Centre is a place where one finds peace and quiet shared with others. It is just a little far from the crowd and the animation of « downtown « Medjugorje. The frenzy downtown can be pleasant and festive but on pilgrimage, we need places to rest and reflect in peace, places where the noise and the crowd will not bother us.
Please come and visit us every working day of the quiet season, Monday to Friday from 8am to 3.30pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm. Summer season schedules are longer.
It is also possible to come and listen to a conference on topics related to Medjugorje or on the various activities of the « Maranatha « movement. Please also come to spend time in our library/reading room with one of the books published by les Éditions Sakramento
The Sakramento Peace Centre has a large room that can accommodate about 100 people and two smaller rooms that can each accommodate about 50 people – equipped with sound and audio visual equipment. It is a warm and comfortable place, which we have designed as a “Meeting Point” Crossroads so that where pilgrims gather informally over tea bread or soup made with the products of our permaculture garden, with pilgrims from their language group and also with pilgrims from other countries. This sometimes gives rise to crises of laughter as people, who speak only their mother tongue, try to communicate in 4 or 5 different languages… Each time, we are so personally enriched.
The space has been designed so that people can exchange their experiences, ideas, proposals, reflections… We have already hosted exhibitions of paintings by local artists, book presentations, film screenings, conferences… When meetings are scheduled in advance, we have translators who facilitate communication with each other. Or, just drop by and learn how to say ‘Hi’ in a dozen languages.
On Thursday, January 18, 2018, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, we received a life-size copy of the miraculous image given by the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. This relic is now on display at the Sakramento Peace Center in Medjugorje. And as it touched the original image, it is considered a 1st category relic. This means that if you come to see it, it will be as if you were in the presence of the original. If you wish, we can give you a presentation of this image that many have already seen but few know. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Protector of the prayer movement “Maranatha”. We chose her because she is the Protector of Life.
At the Sakramento Peace Centre there is also a bookshop with books and video documentaries published by Sakramento Publishing – the publishing house with the most titles about “Medjugorje”. We are considered as the “chroniclers” of the “Medjugorje drama”, among those who know the Medjugorje events best because we have been at the heart of the event since the fall of 1989.
Come and join us in your free time! Offer your group of pilgrims or friends a meeting around a theme of your choice! Come and learn about the beautiful activities of the “Maranatha-Conversion” movement!
Monday to Friday from 8am to 3.30pm
Saturday from 8am to 2pm