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Pope John Paul II
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MaryJo Chenevert, a 37 year old nurse from
Michigan, USA, spends most of her holidays in Medjugorje. The Gospa
stamped her beauty on her fresh and joyful face. One day, the Lord
whispered to her heart that she would personally meet the Holy Father.
From a practical point of view this was totally beyond the realm of
possibility. Then a Polish priest, Fr. Mike Dylag, a personal friend of
the Pope, invited her on a seven days pilgrimage to Rome, and this
included several private audiences with the Holy Father! MaryJo then
made a secret plan; she will speak to the Holy Father about Medjugorje! But on her arrival in Rome the Pope broke his collar bone and all the audiences were cancelled. MaryJo remained firm in her hope, she knew she would see him. And effectively, the last last evening she was admitted by some miracle in front of his private apartments with a Polish group. Then John Paul II appeared with his arm in a sling, obviously suffering the pain of the fracture. Against all odds, he stopped close to MaryJo and seized her strongly by the shoulder with his free hand. Then, something quite exceptional, he traced on her forehead a big sign of the cross with his nail, as if to engrave a deep furrow. Surprise, pain, and joy! MaryJo forgot all about Medjugorje... The Holy Father spoke to her in Polish, but she did not understand a word. He caressed her face and she could only whisper: "My God! My God!" so strongly did she see the suffering Jesus in him. Then the Pope moved on about 10 metres, his back turned, he was leaving... She had nevertheless decided to speak to him about Medjugorje! Was this chance to be missed? Then she remembered the Rosaries which she had brought back from Medjugorje for him. They had been blessed by the Gospa during an apparition. She tried to give them to the guard to pass on to the Pope, but he refused. Then she held them out and cried: "They are from Medjugorje!" At the sound of the word, "Medjugorje," the Pope turned around and a radiant smile lit up his face. "Medjugorje?" he asked. Then he came back slowly towards MaryJo. Tears filled his eyes as he delicately took the Rosaries in his one free hand, and said in English: "Do everything you can to protect Medjugorje!" "But most Holy Father," MaryJo replied, "I am only one person!" "Pray for the protection of Medjugorje!" he insisted. Then, as he moved away, he kissed the Gospa's rosaries and pressed
them against his heart. It was November 21, 1993, the Feast of the
Presentation of Mary in the Temple.
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