Caritas of Birmingham
Caritas of Birmingham is an independent organization of Catholics founded by Terry Colafrancesco in 1987 to promote the visions of Mary reported by a group of young people in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1981. It is now one of the world's largest Marian organizations, with publications distributed worldwide.
When one of the Bosnian youths, Marija Pavlovic, needed to donate a kidney to save the life of her brother, Andrija in 1988, Colafrancesco invited them to travel to Alabama and to have the procedure done at UAB Hospital. Pavlovic was among a smaller group of Medjugorje visionaries who claimed to continue receiving communications from Mary. While here she claimed to have received visions at the Colafrancesco's home on Bear Creek Road in Sterrett, as well as at the hospital.
As word spread that she was in Alabama, thousands of pilgrims arrived at Sterrett. They gathered on a 90-acre field adjacent to Colafrancesco's house. Pavlovic joined them there under a tall pine on Thanksgiving Day and shared a message from Mary through a translator to the crowds. The field has since become a pilgrimage site managed by Caritas.
Pavlovic married an Italian man in 1993 and is now known as Marija Lunetti. She has made many subsequent return visits to Birmingham at Caritas' invitation. In 1999 20,000-30,000 pilgrims made their way to Sterrett for a week-long worship event. Nearly 50,000 were expected for a return visit in 2004, the same weekend as the Bruno's Memorial Classic at the nearby Greystone Golf and Country Club. She has claimed to have had numerous visions here and often prays with pilgrims who travel to Shelby County during her visits.
Caritas reports more than $1.2 million in donations, over and above its revenues from book sales. The organization constructed a Tabernacle of Our Lady's Messages at its headquarters and has expanded its publishing operations.
References
- Foss, Sara (March 16, 2001) "Faith or folly?" Birmingham Post-Herald
- Garrison, Greg (August 2, 2005) "Pilgrims visit a visionary in a Shelby County field." Birmingham News
- Garrison, Greg (July 2, 2008) "Visionary from Medjugorje returns." Birmingham News
- Garrison, Greg (July 5, 2009) "Thousands gather for visionary in Shelby County." Birmingham News
External links
- Caritas of Birmingham website