In a shocking act of sacrilege, one of the world’s most revered Catholic pilgrimage sites, the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje, has been partially torched and defaced, with a statue of the Virgin Mary found vandalized with black paint and the inflammatory message “Devil in a skirt” scrawled across its pedestal. Bosnian police apprehended a suspect in connection with the overnight vandalism and arson, which also saw an outdoor altar set ablaze near St. James Church. The defacement occurred on the face and hands of the Virgin Mary statue on Apparition Hill, an act that has deeply saddened the faithful just days before the shrine’s annual youth prayer festival, which typically draws over 50,000 international pilgrims. Despite the attack, the Medjugorje Parish Office has condemned the vandalism and urged followers to respond with prayer, fasting, and forgiveness, rather than anger, emphasizing that the shrine remains open and will continue its services as planned, with immediate cleanup and repairs underway to restore the sacred sites.
Adapted from: Latest World News on Fox News
