The parish of Medjugorje is situated in Herzegovina, 25 km southwest of Mostar. Medjugorje, (the name is of Slavic origin, and signifies a region between two mounts) with villages of Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci, forms a Roman-Catholic paris where today about 5000 inhabitants live. The pastoral cars of the paris is confided to the priests of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province of the Assumptions of Mary. The whole region is inhabited by Croats (Bosnian Croats) who received Christianity 13 centuries ago. In historical documents, the village was mentioned in 1599 for the first time. The persent parish was founded in 1892, and dedicated to St.James the Apostole, protector of pilgirms. Until June 24, 1981, Medjugorje lived like all other villages of this region: people worked on their land, planted tobacco and vineyards, produced wine and vegetables to acquire just enough for modest life for their families.