Fasting, Prayer and Silence Retreat in Medjugorje

There are places in the world where time stands still. Where the inner noise we carry for years — the rush, the anxiety, the unanswered questions — suddenly grows quiet. Medjugorje is one of those places. And within everything Medjugorje offers, the fasting, prayer and silence retreat is perhaps the most intense and most transformative experience a pilgrim can live.

At Sky Travel we have brought dozens of pilgrims to this sacred place in Bosnia-Herzegovina. And not just by our own account: the Fundación Centro Medjugorje — the official Spanish-language authority of the shrine — documented and published the story of the group our founder Doris Pérez organized from Miami, mentioning her by name in their coverage. What we hear from those pilgrims upon returning are not accounts of spiritual tourism. They are testimonies of conversion, of interior healing, of a peace that — as one of them described — "can only come from God."

In this article we tell you everything about this retreat: what it is, how it works, what to expect, and how you can experience it from Miami or Colombia with the accompaniment of Sky Travel.

What Is the Fasting, Prayer and Silence Retreat?

The parish of Medjugorje, administered by the Franciscans, offers various spiritual retreats throughout the year. One of the most profound is the fasting, prayer and silence retreat, which lasts between five and six days and takes place at the Domus Pacis (House of Peace), a short walk from St. James Church.

The retreat follows a rhythm that participants have already described as "supernatural": the first day begins with dinner, and from there the pilgrims sustain a fast of bread and water through all meals, concluding with breakfast on the last day. Silence and prayer structure each day.

"We have embraced the fasting and the silence in a peace that can only come from God. A supernatural peace that the Lord has placed in the heart of each one of us." — Testimony of a Latin American pilgrim in Medjugorje, published by the Fundación Centro Medjugorje

Each day includes morning and evening catechesis given by parish priests, participation in the Evening Prayer Program, and nocturnal adoration before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Pilgrims also climb Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, two of the most sacred places in Medjugorje.

The Domus Pacis: House of Peace at the Heart of Medjugorje

The Domus Pacis was acquired by the parish in 1990, responding to a request from the pilgrims themselves who needed a space for deep recollection. Its name says it all: House of Peace. It is located about seven minutes on foot from St. James Church, in an environment of quiet and nature that fosters prayer.

The house has an intimate chapel where pilgrims take turns during the night to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This uninterrupted accompaniment — from pilgrim to pilgrim, hour after hour until dawn — is one of the moments that marks most deeply those who live it.

Featured by Fundación Centro Medjugorje

The Latin American and Hispanic presence in Medjugorje has grown significantly in recent years. But what makes Sky Travel's story unique is that it is not an anonymous testimony: the Fundación Centro Medjugorje — the official Spanish-language website of the shrine, with a presence in more than 20 countries across Latin America — covered and published the retreat that Doris Pérez organized with a group of 30 pilgrims from various cities in the United States.

In that chronicle, the Foundation describes Doris Pérez as a Colombian who has lived in Miami for more than 23 years, who felt called in prayer to organize this retreat so that cost would not be a barrier for those who wished to experience it. The article includes her testimony, that of the Franciscan priest who accompanied the group, and that of the parish priest of Medjugorje who led the catechesis sessions.

What is most striking about these testimonies is their consistency: people of different ages, different cities and different personal histories describe the same experience — that of having found, in the silence of Medjugorje, something no other place had given them.

Why Fasting Matters in Medjugorje

From the early years of the apparitions, Our Lady of Medjugorje has asked pilgrims to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. It is not an arbitrary request. In the biblical tradition and in the teaching of the Church, fasting is a spiritual tool that weakens the resistance of the ego and makes the heart more receptive to grace.

"We have reflected on fasting, prayer and silence. The essence of the retreat is found in these three concepts that are in its very name." — Fr. Antonio Primorac, priest of the Medjugorje parish

The Franciscans who lead the retreat at the Domus Pacis delve into the spiritual meaning of fasting: its relationship with Jesus' temptation in the desert, with Mary's intercession, with the path toward holiness. Physical hunger becomes an image of the hunger of the soul. And in Medjugorje, that hunger finds its answer.

What Changes on the Third Day

The priests who accompany these retreats often mention a turning point that occurs around the third or fourth day. It is when something softens in the participants. The attitude toward food changes. Words become more deliberate. And most importantly: people allow themselves to find God in a way that in daily life — with its noise and distractions — would be difficult to reach.

This is not abstract mysticism. It is what pilgrims of different generations, cultures and life circumstances report, again and again. The fasting, prayer and silence retreat in Medjugorje produces concrete, visible fruit that participants carry back to their homes.

How to Get to Medjugorje from Miami or Colombia

Medjugorje is located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the Balkans. The nearest city with an international airport is Dubrovnik (Croatia) or Mostar. From Miami, the journey generally includes a stopover in Europe — Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Lisbon are the most common connections.

From Colombia, the most common route goes through Bogotá with a connection to Madrid or Frankfurt before continuing to the region.

Sky Travel handles all this logistics for you: flights, accommodation, airport transfers, English-speaking guide, and most importantly — priestly accompaniment throughout the pilgrimage. You don't arrive alone in an unfamiliar place. You arrive as part of a group united by the same faith, with a priest who celebrates Mass, hears confessions and spiritually guides the pilgrims.

What Is Included in a Medjugorje Pilgrimage with Sky Travel

Sky Travel is a travel agency licensed as a Florida Seller of Travel (FDACS), specializing in Catholic pilgrimages for the Hispanic community in the United States, Colombia and Latin America. We have been organizing trips to Medjugorje, the Holy Land and other Marian shrines for more than five years.

Our Medjugorje packages are all-inclusive and include:

• Round-trip flights from your departure city
• Accommodation in Medjugorje (double or triple room)
• Meals included during the stay
• Airport–Medjugorje–airport transfers
• English-speaking guide with experience in Marian shrines
• Accompanying priest for daily Mass, confessions and catechesis
• Guided visits to Apparition Hill, Cross Mountain and St. James Church
• Flexible payment plans available

Our Lady of Medjugorje has been calling her children to this place of grace for decades. If you feel that call, we are here to help you respond to it in the best possible way.