This is what peace does:  ”…We learnt to relax into existence in a way we never had before.  …”

Trinidad-born priest Fr Ron Yee-Mon, reflects upon a recent pilgrimage to Rome, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia and Medjugorje, Bosnia with a group of North Dakotans and Louisianans accompanied by Fr Daniel Mrnarevic

“Heaven on Earth” is how George Bernard Shaw, the English writer, in 1931 described the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

After a pilgrimage to the four Major Basilicas in Rome, exploring the sights and sounds of the ‘Eternal City’, our weary pilgrims were invited by Fr Daniel Mrnarevic, pastor of St Mary’s Church, Grand Forks, North Dakota, to visit his hometown.

Our group of 12 was awed by the sight of this ancient city on the Adriatic Coast and we were floored by the view from our lodgings there with the Peric family. Peggy from Louisiana could not hold back the tears. She said to me later: “it was just too much to hold in!”
Dubrovnik is an ancient city state; its rival in its heyday was Venice!

The city has a riveting and centuries-old history rich in traditions of art, music, culture, shipping, commerce and religious tolerance.

Fr Daniel in front of his hometown, Dubrovnik

Pilgrims at Franciscan convent, Dubrovnik: Quanah Patino, a Trinidadian, is pictured in the front left. Quanah's experience on the Apparition Hill was the source of inspiration for this article. She is my beloved godchild and I am incredibly proud of her.

Fr Ron on Medjugorje Hill

In the days we spent there, the group was able to explore the churches, museums, city walls and enjoy its rich cultural presence.

We were able to attend a performance by the world renowned Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, and also enjoyed a spectacular performance of Croatian folk music and dance.

The city fathers of the 18th century were the first to recognise the independence of the United States of America – a fact Fr Dan proudly acknowledged to our American pilgrims.

Fr Dan is quickly recovering from recent heart surgery, and it seemed that the sea waters surrounding Fr Dan’s hometown were healing his tired body and reenergising his buoyant spirit. Each evening our host serenaded his guests with his tenor voice.

He revealed that an operatic career would have been his choice if the Lord had not called him to His service.

We are grateful because if Fr Dan had chosen a career in opera, we would not have been blessed by this visit.

In one of our photos, our group stands at the door of a 550 year old chapel where we celebrated Mass. Fr Dan’s mother Helen is buried in the Convent cemetery where she lies in the company of bishops, priests and nuns – a resting place right for a remarkable woman.

I knew Helen’s infectious laughter. Her diplomatic skills in her diverse Catholic family embodied the very spirit of Dubrovnik.

She once said to me: “life is just too short not to enjoy it and to relax in God’s presence!”

A day before we left Croatia, we surprised our group by organising a day trip to Bosnia to see the idyllic village of Medjugorje where Our Lady, Queen of Mir (Peace in Croatian) is reported to have appeared. Fr Daniel orchestrated a wonderful day for us but was unable to undertake the arduous six-hour bus trip.

Instead I accompanied our pilgrims, already changed by their experiences in Rome and Dubrovnik. In Medjugorje, the group climbed Apparition Hill where most of us prayed at the first station where Our Lady appeared. Some members of the group persevered further to the summit.

Looking back on all our experiences in Rome, “the eternal city” (our group is pictured in the cloister area of the Basilica of St Paul-outside-the walls); the awesome beauty of Dubrovnik (Fr Dan poses before the city and our group stands before the 550 year old Franciscan chapel); the rugged slopes of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia (Fr Ron stands at the first station), I remembered Helen Mrnarevic’s words: “Yes, life is just too short! Enjoy it! Relax in God’s presence!”  What a gift!

I can see this “relaxation” in God’s presence in the expressions of joy and wonder of the members of our group. Somehow in that stream of activity, our lives changed fundamentally. We learnt a new appreciation of Beauty, another name for God, in observing the churches and monuments of Rome and Dubrovnik.

The Croatians describe the experience of beauty as “lijep” (pronounced “lee-eh-po”). Lijep was everywhere! Through streams of light, laughter, song and prayer, the inevitable happened. In the inspired words of the poet Jane Kenyon, we learnt “to relax into existence in a way we never had before!”  This is what peace does!

That grace moment for us, I believe, was God’s surprise!  And surprised we were!

Father Ron Yee-Mon, STL is Spiritual Director, Lumen Christi Retreat Center, Louisiana, La. USA