Youth Festival

One of the most famous Marian shrines in the world is particularly delightful for young people, because through traditional pilgrimage and prayer they find spiritual strength, encouragement, faith and hope for all life challenges. The Church of St James, the smell of strawflower, tobacco and drowned grass, the Cross of
the Apparition called Križevac and pilgrims from all over the world unite our human habitus in witnessing of the universal values of love, beauty and communion.The International Youth Festival in Međugorje is held every year from July 31 (or August 1) to August, 6, with more than 50,000 young people and 400 priests from around the world participating.This Festival is a spiritual vacation for young people who will participate in prayer, testimonies, processions, songs, adoration, crowns, masses and concerts; and young people from all over the world participate in this festival – there are people from BiH, neighboring Croatia, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Brazil, Ukraine, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, South Korea, Lebanon, France, Netherlands, Georgia, China, Germany, Romania, United States. All programs organized by Youth Festival are simultaneously transmitted over radio receivers in 20 diffferent languages. Late friar called Slavko Barbarić initiated this festival in 1989, wanting it to be the source of youth renewing, refreshing their spirit, refining their views and inspiring new steps. Every year the number of participants increases, and the number grew over all other gatherings in Međugorje.