Bosnian authorities probe fire damage, vandalism at Medjugorje shrine

Statues of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje’s Marian shrine were marked with black paint and the outdoor altar behind Saint James Church was set on fire. Bosnian authorities were investigating vandalism and fire damage at the site. Local police secured the area after the blaze, while church officials assessed damage at one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most visited Catholic sites.

The damaged areas included Apparition Hill, known locally as Podbrdo, and the Blue Cross, known locally as Plavi Križ. Two Our Lady statues had black paint on their faces and chests.

Investigators were reviewing surveillance footage and witness accounts as they tried to determine whether the fire and vandalism were deliberate or the result of a careless blaze that spread before it was extinguished. Officials had not said whether anyone was detained, and the extent of the damage remained under assessment as police and church leaders examined possible motives, including vandalism and hate-driven damage.

Medjugorje has been a focal point of Catholic devotion since the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1981 turned the small town into one of Europe’s best-known pilgrimage centers. Saint James Church is the spiritual heart of the complex, and the shrine has drawn millions of pilgrims over the years, making it a major part of the local economy through year-round visitor traffic.

The Vatican has long been cautious about the supernatural claims tied to Medjugorje. In 2024, the Vatican gave formal approval to devotion at the site without pronouncing on the authenticity of the alleged apparitions, and in August 2025 Pope Leo XIV sent a message to participants in the 36th Youth Festival in Medjugorje.