Along with the XI National Congress of Mary Queen of Peace, Brother Danko Perutina’s mission in Paraguay has concluded, and with this his trip through Latin America in which he preached on the spirituality of Medjugorje and the messages of the Virgin Mary. The morning began with the recitation of the rosary, followed by the catechesis of Father Eugenio María Pirovano, which was entitled: “The family under the light of Medjugorje”, in which he spoke about the family as a natural place where to live the faith and the importance you have in God’s plan.
Father Eugenio traveled to Medjugorje as a diocesan priest in 1987, met the visionary Vicka and as a result of that meeting with her, he opened the Monastic Fraternity of the Disciples of Jesus. It is a monastery located in São Paulo, Brazil. Today it has more than 20 religious men and women who live the messages of the Virgin.
Friar Slavko Barbarić supported this project and advised Father Eugene in the early years of the fraternity. He was preparing to visit the monastery in São Paulo, but his death surprised him on November 24, 2000 on Mount Krizevac.
Father Eugenio was national director of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for 27 years and exorcist for the diocese. The rule of the fraternity is based on what Father Slavko had ordered them to do.
The second catechesis was preached by Fray Danko and its motto was: “You will know them by their fruits”. Taking the words of Jesus, he spoke about the innumerable fruits that have been shed throughout the world through Medjugorje through the intercession of the Queen of Peace.
During the Eucharistic Adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation was also imparted, to end the day with the holy mass, and with it the congress.
Fray Danko shared his impressions with us: “From the very moment we arrived in Paraguay we saw that everything was very well organized, because this is the XI Congress of the Queen of Peace in Paraguay, which means that here in Paraguay they already have a very long to be linked to Medjugorje and the messages of Our Lady. What is especially breathed in this congress is humility, love and joy”.
“Here are some pilgrims from Brazil and in the coming months we will work on the foundation of the Portuguese center, which would cover Brazil and Portugal. We put everything in the hands of the Virgin. It is evident that through the centers the message of Our Lady reaches the whole world more easily and faster”, she concluded.
During today’s meeting, Minu Fretes was re-elected as National Coordinator of the Medjugorje Center Foundation in Paraguay.
“I already knew about Medjugorje since 1995, a priest brought the messages to me at work. One day I was invited to a prayer group and when the organizer went to the convent they referred me to take care of a group of 38 young people. There we began to investigate what Medjugorje was, because we did not know, we received the message, but only that”.
When did the idea of the 1st Congress arise?
“After I was elected in 2011 to coordinate Paraguay before the Medjugorje Center Foundation, we held the 1st National Congress. Brother Jozo and Brother Slavko were in Paraguay in the 1990s preaching about the spirituality of Medjugorje and the messages of the Queen of Peace. Since then no priest from Medjugorje has come until this visit by Fr. Danko”.
Your impressions of Brother Danko’s visit?
“For me it is a miracle. I felt in my heart, at the congress in March in Medjugorje, to tell Oriol that I would like a Franciscan or a seer to visit my country. Because the prayer groups were dispersed due to the pandemic, it was very difficult to start uniting the groups again. God heard our poor prayer and the Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Peace, sent us this great gift.
What did you like the most about this congress?
“Everything, I liked everything. The talks, the adorations, everything. The works were all done by the Blessed Virgin. We had many challenges, but thank God we overcame all obstacles. The Archdiocese opened the door of the heart for us. The Virgin said ‘now it’s Paraguay’s turn, I’m with you’.
Serving the Queen of Peace helps me spiritually in every way, it saved my marriage, it saved my family, it saved everything. The Virgin makes me fall in love with Jesus, when I have difficulties I tell her: Mother, please, here I am. The Virgin takes me to the arms of her Son always, and I feel it more in difficult moments. I have never felt alone since I have known the spirituality of Medjugorje.”
We are grateful to God for Fr. Danko’s visit to Latin America, and we hope that he can return soon so that we can continue to deepen the spirituality of Medjugorje, and thus continue taking steps on our journey to Heaven.
Brother Danko, thank you from the bottom of my heart!