The road under Apparition Hill will be named Queen of Peace Street. Saint Pope John Paul II will have the main street from the church to the bus station named after him – and the late Medjugorje priest Fr. Slavko Barbaric also gets one. Other names refer to Croatian history and heroes.
Soon to be officially named: the streets of Medjugorje will draw their names from the Virgin Mary, Saint Pope John Paul II, Fr. Slavko Barbaric and other priests, and from figures of Croatian history
Medjugorje has never had street names. But this will soon change and 68 coming street names were released by the municipality of Citluk on Thursday.
As noted by Medjugorje Today already on September 30, the road passing by Apparition Hill and through the village of Bijakovici will be named Queen of Peace Street (“Ulica Kraljice Mira”), in recognition of the Virgin Mary appearing in Medjugorje under this title. This is also the road on which visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic gave her testimony for decades, in front of the blue house of her childhood.
Saint Pope John Paul II
Dubbed “Visionary Road” for many years, the road in Bijakovici inhabited by the visionaries Jakov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic, and Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo will be named Apparition Hill Street (“Podbrdo”).
Saint Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) will have the main street from St. James Church to the bus station named after him, as Pope John Paul II Street (“Ulica Pape Ivana Pavao II”). The late local Franciscan priest Fr. Slavko Barbaric (1946-2000) will have the street from the church past the rotunda and the local public school to Hotel Forum.
Fr. Slavko Barbaric
Fr. Slavko Barbaric was the main driving force in Medjugorje from his arrival in 1982 until his death on top of Cross Mountain on November 24th 2000. He traveled extensively and took the message of Medjugorje to all continents. He wrote books on all the main aspects of the Virgin Mary’s message. Also the founder of the annual Youth Festival and the animator of Medjugorje’s bi-weekly Eucharistic Adoration, Fr. Slavko further served as spiritual director for the six visionaries.
Fr. Bernardin Smoljan
The priest who initiated the placement of the 8,56 meters tall white Cross on top of what has since been called Cross Mountain will also have a street. Fr. Bernardin Smoljan (1884-1945) was parish priest in Medjugorje where his name will soon appear on a street sign.
Fr. Stanko Vasilj
The same will be true of another priest, Fr. Stanko Vasilj (1920-93). Born in Medjugorje, the Franciscan lived to see the hamlet of his childhood catapulted into world fame. Also a composer and a writer, Fr. Stanko’s most widely known work is the Hymn to the Queen of Peace, sung at the beginning of every evening Mass in Medjugorje.
Blessed Cardinal
Alojzije Stepinac
Fr. Stanko Vasilj’s spending seven years in prison during the communist era gave him something in common with Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac of Zagreb (1898-1960) who will also have a street in Medjugorje named after him. Declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1998, Cardinal Stepinac was first critical of the atrocities committed by Croatian fascists during World War II, then of the communist post-war regime. He died while under confinement.
Franjo Tudjman
Another section of streets will have names derived from Croatian history, and mirror the strong local affiliation with Croatia. Near the bus station a street will be devoted to Dr. Franjo Tudjman (1922-99), in memory of the first president of the independent post-communist Croatia. Another reference to Croatia of the 1990s and so to the war will be Croatian Defenders’ Street (“Ulica Hrvatskih Branitelja”), also to be located near Medjugorje’s bus station.
Vukovar’s siege in 1991
Near Medjugorje’s public school, Vukovar Street also earns its name to Croatia’s war of independence in the early 1990s. The city of Vukovar was heavily damaged when approximately 2,000 self-organised men defended the city for 87 days against approximately 36,000 Serbian troops supplemented with 110 vehicles and tanks and dozens of planes. An estimated 2,000 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were forced into exile. The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World War II.
Ante Starcevic
Three major Croatian historical figures of the more distant past will also have streets in Medjugorje named after them: Often referred to by Croats as “the Father of the Homeland”, Ante Starcevic (1823-96) was a politician and writer whose works laid the foundations for the modern Croatia.
Stjepan Radic
After him, Stjepan Radic (1871-1928) took over the role as Croatia’s political leader. The founder of the Croatian People’s Peasant Party is credited with galvanizing Croatia’s peasantry into a viable political force. He was opposed to the formation of Yugoslavia, and died from gun wounds received from a Serbian parliament member.
Count Josip Jelacic
Before both of them was Count Josip Jelacic (1801-59) who will have a street near Medjugorje’s public school named after him. A noted army general, Jelacic is best remembered for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848, the war against Hungary, and for his abolition of serfdom, a bondage suffered by peasants under feudalism.
Summing up to a total of 68 streets, other names will be derived from lesser-known saints and local family clans.