A young Swiss professor of Music, became a Priest because of Međugorje
By Višnja Spajić, a journalist from Radio Mir, Međugorje

˝I came to Međugorje for the first time in 1989 for a single day with a group. And I felt I had to come again. After a while I returned again with my sister; on our way back from the sea, we came to Međugorje. At the time the first Youth Festival was going on, actually the Fore-festival. There were 200 people all in all. It was only the following year that the first Festival was officially held,˝ said Jean-Marie Frey, a Benedictine from Switzerland, whose spiritual career was initiated by Međugorje. It is interesting that his sister and both brothers followed as well.

He learned about Međugorje from the newspapers when he was seventeen. When he first came to Međugorje he had only one more year of studying at Music School. I told Mary,˝I am very impatient, I wish to know what will happen within the year and three months later I knew it – I would be a Benedictine, a Priest in the Abbey of Dizentis. I knew nothing about the Benedictines at the time, nor about the monastery, but I knew it was meant for me. After the completion of Music School in 1990 I entered the monastery.˝

Shortly after he entered the monastery he came to Međugorje once again. He explains his family is much like any other family. He says that Međugorje played the main role in the choice of spiritual careers of all four children in the family. ˝Međugorje is a great gift from God, a gift from Heaven to mankind. I can testify about my family, about me, my brothers and my sister. The most beautiful outcome are my parents. My father will be 80 soon. I can see that my parents understand each other much better through prayer; they have learned mutual forgiving and I am convinced that this is a great gift. Now Međugorje is influencing my Benedictine community as well.˝

Jean-Marie Frey has been a priest for eight years now. He teaches music and religious education at the School of the Benedictine Monastery.

˝I was very happy when Joseph Ratzinger took the name of Benedict XVI.˝

Asked what does he think of the Holy Pope's prayer in front of the picture of Our Lady of Međugorje, he responded, ˝It is a sign for me. I think that Benedict XVI carries Međugorje in his heart. He is very reasonable and careful. That man is capable of surprises. I think he will find new ways for the opening up of Međugorje.˝

The full article can be found on page 13 of Vol 3
2007 issue.