Last week the new archbishop sent by the pope to Medjugorje gave a talk in the hall to all the English speaking pilgrims and it was truly amazing.

The first thing one notices about him is his loving smile and his love for both God and the people.

Every evening he can be seen at the evening program and at adoration when it’s on and he acts like every other priest as he walks through the crowds distributing holy communion.

In fact if you didn’t know his face you’d have no idea that you received Jesus from the Bishop unless you were sharp enough to spot he ring hat bishops wear!!

During his talk he spoke of his time in the Netherlands and how Jesus showed him to be with the people and to preach more by example and by loving them rather than the more militant approach that was more common in the past.

Instead of talking about God to people he learnt to talk to them about their lives and he said that afterwards they asked him about God.

He kept insisting that the people of the Netherlands were good people that had grown up in a culture without God where everything was possible and all we could feel as he spoke was the understanding, compassion and merciful heart of Jesus without an ounce of judgment.

“Maybe this is the new evangelisation” he says with his charismatic and endearing smile that made you want to jump up and hug him!!

And if I wasn’t impressed enough he then went into describe a eucharistic procession that he had in Amsterdam in the red light district and again, absolutely no judgement or mention of mortal sins or the flaming fires of hell and yet a very deep understanding of the brokenness of these people and their need for Jesus.

Bishop Cavalli kept saying over and over again that “EVERYONE IS WELCOME IN MEDJUGORJE, EVERYONE”.

After the talk he stayed around because people came up to talk to him and rather than walk away he waited and he spoke to everyone with such patience and goodness and it was at that moment that the Holy Spirit jumped on me and with Séamus and Ivan we went up to him!

I gave him one of our badges and explained it to him and he spent a few minutes talking to us about God’s love and at the same time telling us to be careful too because of course this area is so delicate.

After we left the hall to our surprise we found our group waiting outside with Fr. Keith to meet the Bishop too and so we all got introduced to him all over again and Fr Keith told him about our little Medjugorje LGBT group.

So what a wonderful grace for Medjugorje and what a wonderful example of the heart of Jesus for the ordinary people such as ourselves.

Our Lady, thank you for Archbishop Cavalli, bless him in every way and use him to bring more and more people to the tender and merciful heart of Jesus in Medjugorje!