A sacred shrine in Bosnia, cherished by Catholic pilgrims around the world and visited by thousands of Irish people every year, has been vandalised in a shocking attack. The shrine remains open to pilgrims, with the parish urging the faithful to respond with prayer rather than anger. Pic: Medjugorje tutti i giorni/Facebook‘We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act.’ The story of Medjugorje began in 1981, when six local children reported that Mary had appeared to them. During the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, the site became a place of refuge, with daily prayers for peace continuing despite the violence that surrounded the region.