Fr. JOZO

From www.gospa.com:

Father Jozo Zovko O.F.M., a Franciscan priest has been a part of the history of the phenomena of Medjugorje since the very beginning. As a young priest, Father Jozo enjoyed the assignment as Parish Priest for the Saint James Church in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina when the first apparition occurred on June 24, 1981.

When the children first started to speak of the apparitions, Father Jozo was doubtful that it was more than the excited imaginations of the young. Still, talk of the apparitions was dangerous in an area of Communist oppression. He was torn between trying to keep his parish and the suddenly arriving pilgrims calm and centered and taking care of their spiritual needs and making sense out of the stories of the apparitions.. if indeed they had occurred. It wasn't long before he was convinced that the children were seeing the Gospa and that something wonderful was happening to his St. James parish that would soon affect the world through the Gospa's messages given there.

Towards the end of July, 1981, while Father Jozo was praying inside of St. James, he heard a male voice tell him: "Go outside and protect the children.". Upon opening the door of the church, he found all six visionaries, Ivanka, Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana and Vicka frightened of the police and begging for help. He gave them sanctuary in the rectory.

After refusing the order to close St. James, Father Jozo Zovko was arrested on August 17, 1981.. barely two months after the first apparition. He was tried and convicted on charges of subversion against the (Communist) state. He was sentenced to three and a half years hard labor.

Despite the many cruel and horrendous tortures he endured while imprisoned, his faith remained strong and grew. Unable to cope with such devoutness in the face of their extensive cruelty as well as the increasing political pressure against his imprisonment, the Communists released Father Jozo after 18 months on the condition he never return to St. James as pastor.

Father Jozo now travels through the world and speaks of the Gospa's messages. He speaks of the immeasurable love of Jesus and he asks us all to respond to the call with all of our hearts. And he teaches these very things by his words and his example.