Around twenty years ago, I went to an obscure little village called Medjugorje. I was just after turning eighteen years of age. The firstborn son of an alcoholic, my life was completely out of control. Alcohol & drug abuse, expulsion from school, and a court case on the horizon for eleven charges left me at rock bottom. In desperation, I turned to God for help. Providentially, a man named Jim Browne - after much persuasion from my father - agreed to bring me to Medjugorje. A recovered alcoholic himself, Medjugorje was instrumental in Jim's liberation, who in turn helped my dad break free from his alcohol addiction.

On the third day of the pilgrimage, while climbing Apparition Hill, I received the gift of faith instantaneously. In other words, I just knew with a certitude that the faith was true, that Mary was my mother and that God loved me despite my past. This had a profound effect upon me. I came down that mountain a different man. In the simplest possible terms, God initiated a relationship with me via the instrumentality of Our Lady.

It was a gamechanger. I started praying the rosary daily, returned to the sacraments, began studying my faith, joined organizations with a strong emphasis on evangelization & started bringing groups of young people to Medjugorje.

In short, Medjugorje helped me become a new man. It was a gradual process, but upon looking back I can see the massive healing God has conducted in me. Before I went to Medjugorje, my life was aimless. I had no concept of my own self-worth. I was a very broken young man, completely hopeless with no prospects. Today, I am a married father of four boys. I currently work for Raphoe diocese with teenagers & young adults. I know who I am in God, that I am loved unconditionally, not for what I do but for who I am. This has given me self-acceptance, a decisive orientation & objective meaning to my life. This is exactly what I want for every young person.

Pilgrimages to Medjugorje are a powerful way to help young people develop & foster a relationship with God, to really encounter him in a deeply tangible & personal way. I have countless stories of young people having strong experiences of God & coming to faith in Medjugorje. Ultimately, the greatest gift we can give a young person is faith. This faith will serve them as a real anchor & support through life's many curveballs if they come with an open heart.

Our young people are under so much attack from various ideologies competing for their attention. We have to start fighting for them. This is not a silver bullet. It will not comprehensively solve every problem or lead to the conversion of every heart, but from my experience, it will produce abundant fruit.

Currently we have 44 coming with us in August to Medjugorje with around 35 teenagers in the group. We will be capping the numbers at 50. Unfortunately, these projects are heavily contingent upon fundraising to help subsidize the overall costs & keep the prices reasonable. Please prayerfully consider donating to this pilgrimage. Any amount no matter how small helps massively & would be much appreciated.

If you could kindly share this fundraising link with friends, family, persons of faith with a heart for youngsters - that would be fantastic! Also please be assured of our prayers for all your intentions when out in Medjugorje. Thanks so much!

God bless, Keith