A man has been arrested in connection with the vandalism and arson at the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje, one of the world's most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites. The incident occurred overnight on July 27, with a statue of the Virgin Mary defaced and an outdoor altar set on fire. The suspect was detained by Bosnian police on Tuesday, though authorities have not yet released his identity or confirmed a motive.
The statue on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, was found with its face and hands covered in black paint. The pedestal bore the English phrase "Devil in a skirt" spray-painted in black. Surveillance footage reportedly showed a man pouring what investigators believe was gasoline onto the altar before setting it ablaze. The fire was extinguished.
The vandalism occurred just days before Medjugorje's annual youth prayer festival, which is expected to draw over 50,000 pilgrims. The Medjugorje Parish Office condemned the act, urging Catholics to respond with "prayer, fasting, and forgiveness" rather than anger. Cleanup and repairs began immediately to restore the damaged sites.
The shrine gained Vatican approval in 2022 for continued pilgrimages, following reports of visions of the Virgin Mary by six children in 1981. Some of the original "seers" claim the visions continue regularly, with messages attributed to the Virgin Mary.