Prayers

Via Alpina Sacra is a 4,100-kilometer pilgrimage of this Austrian priest across the Alps, from the Basilica of Aquileia to Saint-Honorat (Cannes). He visited 200 of the largest, oldest, highest, and most beautiful Catholic sanctuaries in Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, and Monaco, where he prayed for the intentions I sent him via email. He could write in English, Italian, Polish, and German.

Pilgrim Johannes Maria Schwarz, a Catholic priest who has already traveled 14,000 kilometers through 26 countries to Jerusalem (from Liechtenstein), this is not his first pilgrimage…

Rev. Johannes Maria Schwarz is one of the most charismatic and distinctive individuals. This is indicated by the unusual fact that this hermit, who prepared for priesthood in Austria, now belongs to the Archdiocese of Liechtenstein, even though he lives in Italy.

After completing his doctorate, Rev. Schwarz started working on creative projects, such as the Little Catechism, through which he sought to explain the fundamental truths of the Christian faith to people in a practical and appealing way.

He managed to fulfill his initial plan of combining his passion for art and creativity with faith, which has become the foundation of his life.

After finishing his chaplaincy duties, he took a sabbatical to embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It was a literal pilgrimage as he traveled on foot to Jerusalem and back. It took him about 230 days to reach Jerusalem, covering around 8,000 kilometers. He did not take the shortest route, as he wanted to visit countries like Ukraine, Russia, Iran… For the return journey, he only needed to cover 6,000 kilometers, during which he also visited Croatia.

Although a 4,100-kilometer journey may seem unimaginably long to many, it is merely a warm-up compared to his pilgrimage from Liechtenstein to Jerusalem and back, during which he walked 14,000 kilometers. When he is not on a pilgrimage, Rev. Schwarz engages in various creative projects in his hermit’s cell in the Alps. Alps and the desert are not terms we usually associate with each other, but much of what is connected to Rev. Schwarz is unusual, although it all seems guided by the hand of God.

Although a 4,100-kilometer journey may seem unimaginably long to many, it is merely a warm-up compared to his pilgrimage from Liechtenstein to Jerusalem and back, during which he walked 14,000 kilometers. When he is not on a pilgrimage, Rev. Schwarz engages in various creative projects in his hermit’s cell in the Alps. Alps and the desert are not terms we usually associate with each other, but much of what is connected to Rev. Schwarz is unusual, although it all seems guided by the hand of God. That’s why we decided to talk to this charismatic priest about his life journey and his perspective on the Church today.

He started his 4,100-kilometer journey from the Italian Aquileia. His destination, on the other hand, is one of the oldest monastic settlements in Europe, established by Saint Honoratus in the early 5th century, located on the eponymous island near Cannes (today, a Cistercian monastery is there).

“I want to tell the history of these places – their art and what they teach about faith,” said Fr. Schwarz in the video, joking that he is like a “Bishop Barron for the poor” and his endeavor is “Alpine Catholicism with the priest with the worst appearance, the ugliest smell, the worst-dressed, and who shares fewer profound thoughts, with the possibility of regretting attacks by sheepdogs.”

The priest, who is among other things one of the authors of the popular series “Little Catechism,” carried with him on the pilgrimage the prayer intentions of believers who could submit their intentions on his website 4kmh.com.

Each intention is randomly assigned to a segment of the journey.

After leaving my email, I was informed when Johannes Maria Schwarz, the Catholic priest, would reach a specific segment of the journey, and I could join in prayers by attending the Holy Mass on that day.

Therefore, no matter how many miles separate us, in Christ and his sacrifice, we are all united,” Father Schwarz emphasizes.

In a statement to the Catholic Herald, the Austrian priest highlighted how carrying the prayer intentions would help him in his “exercise of priestly duties” and give greater meaning to his moments of pain and suffering.

He plans to pilgrimage from May to August along a path that connects eight European countries and more than 200 “largest, most beautiful, oldest, highest, and most significant Catholic shrines, churches, and monasteries,” as he claims in the video released a few weeks before the start of the adventure.

Father Johannes Schwarz, who once walked on foot from Liechtenstein to Jerusalem, has prepared 120 homilies for different locations where he will celebrate the Holy Mass during the journey.

On his pilgrimage, he prayed for the intentions of Marijana Glavinic, which she wrote on May 15, 1918. I wrote them in Italian.

-for the spiritual renewal of the Croatian land
– for the parish in Jasenovac, for spiritual and material restoration
– for the realization of projects in Jasenovac, the construction of a power plant and pellet factory, Austrian investors, and the construction and opening of a firewood factory in the industrial zone of Jasenovac
– for Austrian investors Alexander Fischer and Christian Rhomoser, and for our families
– for Mladen Novakovic
– for retired professor Zdravko Lesic, who worked on the economic plan for the firewood factory in the industrial zone
– for lawyer Krešimir Grebenar, lawyer for the Austrian investor in Croatia
– for the mayor Marija Mackovic of the Jasenovac municipality
– for fallen defenders
– for the mayor of Novska, the current Minister of Labor, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, and his associates Marija Kušmiš, Siniša Kvesic, and Ivana Kuzlic
– for the young people of Croatia to stop emigration from Croatia
– for Fr. Petar Ljubicic, who will reveal the secrets of Medjugorje
– for Bishop Antun Skvorcevic, for all priests and nuns of the Diocese of Požega
– for Pope Francis, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, for all Croatian bishops, priests, and nuns
– for Bishop Vlado Kosic, for all priests and nuns of the Diocese of Sisak
– for Reverend Zlatko Sudac and all priests in the Archdiocese of Zagreb
– for Reverend Mijo Nikic, for Draga, Ljubica, and their family
– for Sister Martina Popic and all Merciful Sisters, St. Vincent de Paul from Zagreb
– for Sister Ilijana Kosic
– for Sister Jelena Krilic
– for Fra Ivo Pavic, for Cardinal Vinko Puljic, for Bishop Komarica, and for the Diocese of Banja Luka
– for Fra Drago Ljevar
– for Fra Jozo Zovak – Medjugorje
– for Fra Ljubo Kurtovic, the parish of Medjugorje
– for all friars in Medjugorje, for all nuns in Medjugorje, Sister Elvira, Sister Emanuel
– for Sister Miroslava Ljevar, for the parish in Sasin, Bosnia and Herzegovina
– for priest Rosario Palic and his diocese in Trieste, Italy, the Permanent Adorers of the Most Holy Trinity
– for Fra Smiljan Kožul and all priests in Croatia
– for Reverend Pejo Oršolic
– for Reverend Mario Cimbal
– for Reverend Krunoslav Jurakovic
– for Reverend Duro Cvitic
– for Reverend Nedeljko Androš
– for Reverend Stjepan Filipec
– for Reverend Milan Vidakovic and all priests of the Diocese of Požega
– for Reverend Ivica Žuljevic
– for Reverend Juric Jozo
– for Reverend Ivica Razumovic
– for Reverend Ivic Anto
– for Reverend Matanovic Perica
– for Reverend Jozo Zoric
– for Reverend Zrile Dražen
– for Reverend Veceric Mario
– for Reverend Tomislav Pavlovic
– for Reverend Obradovic Vicko
– for Reverend Ivan Nikolic
– for Reverend Tomislav Vucur (deceased)
– for Reverend Stjepan Biber (deceased)
– for Reverend Ivan Mitrovic (deceased)
– for Reverend Vuk Stjepan
– for Reverend Mladen Štivin
– for Reverend Dragoslav Kozic
– for Reverend Josip Pendzic
– for Reverend Dragan Hrgic
– for Reverend Altic Patrik
– for Reverend Mokri Robert
– for Reverend Kos Mihael
– for the visionary of Our Lady, Vida from Medjugorje, and Marijana Glavinic, for their trip to Rome, Italy
– for the visionaries of Medjugorje: Vicka, Jakov, Ivan, Marija, Mirjana, and Ivanka, their families and relatives
– for Violeta and her mother
– for Mirella Pizzioli from Italy, who prays for Marijana Glavinic’s projects
– for the Koran family, who worked on the project of photographing and filming videos for Stanko and Toni Koran
– for florist Vesna Mimic
– for Danijela Sisgoreo Morson

On May 15, 2018 (that’s the date when I kissed the ring of Pope John Paul II in the Vatican and wished him a happy birthday on behalf of Croatia).

I had a Holy Rosary around my neck, given to me by an American woman named Rita Klaus, who miraculously recovered from an illness. It was the first time I went to Podbrdo with her, her husband, and friends.

Podbrdo is the place where the Virgin Mary will leave a permanent and indestructible sign to confirm that the apparitions in Medjugorje were true. Along with the rosary, I also carried a small stone from Podbrdo.

“I asked the Queen of Peace for intercession and firmly believed – a miracle happened!”

Rita Klaus was born on January 25, 1940, and lived in Evans City, USA. For many years, she suffered from multiple sclerosis.

She first heard about the disease in 1960 when her vision became blurry, and she experienced double vision. She consulted an ophthalmologist who referred her to a neurologist. The neurologist suggested the possibility of multiple sclerosis, but time would reveal the diagnosis. After a cold, Rita experienced a severe attack for the first time, resulting in extreme weakness in her limbs. She underwent surgery on her right knee to restore it to a normal position and wore a cast for eight weeks.

After getting married in 1971, Rita faced difficulties with balance and walking due to impaired upright posture. She often walked with a limp, leading to stumbling and falling. Between 1974 and 1978, Rita joyfully welcomed three pregnancies. However, alongside the joy brought by her children, Rita also experienced health problems, weakness, and balance disorders due to her weakened muscles. She spent time in hospitals, waiting for various tests to confirm the diagnosis and receive state aid. The expenses kept accumulating, sometimes for knee supports, other times for crutches or a walker. Rita’s recovery was slow, and her situation seemed to worsen.

Prayer to the Queen of Peace
As is often the case, when it seemed that there was no solution left, after countless tests, Rita described how her life situation began to change.

“It was time to go to bed during the night of June 18, 1986, and I was finishing my daily rosary when I felt prompted to ask Jesus for healing through the intercession of the Virgin Mary appearing in Medjugorje. Lately, I had been reading about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje in Catholic newspapers and was nearing the end of the book ‘Is the Virgin Mary appearing in Medjugorje?’ by R. Laurentin. In response to what the Virgin Mary was asking for, I started fasting a few days a week” (Antonacci, Antonio et al., Extraordinary Healings in Medjugorje, Krsni Zavicaj, Humac 1990).

That evening, Rita prayed as follows:
“Dear Mother, Queen of Peace, I believe that you are appearing in Medjugorje. I pray to you, ask your Son to heal me where healing is needed! Your Son said: ‘If you have faith and say to the mountain – Move! – it will move.’ I believe. Please help my unbelief.”

She described what happened next:
“As soon as I asked Our Lady to intercede for me, I felt an unexpected discharge of electricity through me. I had experienced that feeling before, but it had been a violent and unpleasant experience. This time it was different, gentle and full of peace. I went to sleep right away. The next morning, I didn’t notice anything unusual. I went to College La Roche, where I attended a short course on the Gospels. However, during the lecture, I suddenly realized that I could feel my feet and move my toes, something I hadn’t been able to do for more than ten years! On my way back home, I went to the bedroom, wanting to remove the aids from my legs. I bent down and noticed that my legs were straight!

I was so happy that I started screaming and thanking God and Mary! After removing the aids, with the help of crutches, I reached the staircase leading upstairs. I told myself, ‘If I am healed, I can run up the stairs.’ And so, I ran up the stairs. From that moment on, I started running everywhere because my husband Ron and our daughters were on the property picking strawberries. I called my friend Marianne Nock, who lived nearby. I was screaming with joy, and she thought something terrible had happened, so she rushed to my house, fearing she would see something awful. After laughing and crying together, we decided to go to the property and surprise Ron and the girls.”

Surprising the Doctors
After her miraculous healing, Rita’s doctors who had been following her case were also surprised. On June 23, Dr. A. Viera examined Rita and wrote in his report:
“The patient can walk without any aids and has regained strength in both legs. Her balance is good, as well as the sensitivity test. She can hop on one leg or the other with her eyes closed. The sensitivity in her legs is good, and the deep reflexes are symmetrical and normal. The strength in her hands is good, and the sensitivity test showed excellent results.”

The doctor concluded:
“Overall, the patient experienced excellent healing. I don’t understand where this healing came from in such a short time.”

Rita, on the other hand, expressed her gratitude for the miraculous intercession of the Queen of Peace.