Pilgrims to the Marian shrine in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, pray at the Church of St. James. About 1 million pilgrims visit the shrine each year.

Ivanka lives with her husband and their three children in one of the four villages in the parish of Medjugorje, a short walk from Medjugorje and St. James Church. Her mission is to pray for families.

Pilgrims attend Masses at Medjugorje’s St. James Church during the day and the evening Mass is celebrated outdoors to accommodate huge crowds.

Pilgrims attend Masses at Medjugorje’s St. James Church during the day and the evening Mass is celebrated outdoors to accommodate huge crowds.

A statue of Mary is seen outside St. James Church in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in this Feb. 26, 2011, file photo. (Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring.) Listen ROME – By comparing Medjugorje, a ...

Some of the alleged messages of Mary the Vatican found problematic were those containing explicit and repeated exhortations to the parishioners of the local church, St. James, the Vatican said.