The Way. The Truth. The Life.

Restarting Where it All Started: Medjugorje

Written by Milanka Lachman – May 19, 2021

1981 – Our Lady Appeared to Six Children in Medjugorje

At that time, I was working for Yugoslav Airlines and heard about miraculous events. In the following few years, I even helped some get there.  Each time I spoke to someone about Medjugorje, something was nudging me to go, but I held off, thinking it’s not for me.  I decided to go after the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, which took place in 1984.

1984: Life-changing Event | My First Pilgrimage to Medjugorje & Discovery of My Calling

Making my first Pilgrimage ever and visiting this small village of Medjugorje was more than I have ever expected. There were no hotels, no shops, restaurants, no tourism, only holy villagers who opened up their homes to Pilgrims like myself. One could say that I was hooked and that my first pilgrimage changed my life completely.

1885: Starting 206 Tours

I was 27 years old– I felt called to help others to have the faith-affirming experience that I had in Medjugorje. I was a single mother of two, with no money, no business experience, no knowledge of theology, and no connections to clergy. I had never heard of anyone else building a company for the sole purpose to operate pilgrimages. But, I knew then, what I know now – there is a great need to go on a pilgrimage.

To say Medjugorje left its mark on my heart is an understatement. As I started building what would become 206 Tours, I first needed a name that would be significant to Marian Pilgrimage. But I wanted that name to have a true meaning. The space I rented was 400 SF and the suite number was 206. As I looked for some significance to that number, like a bible verse or date, I learned that we all have 206 bones in our bodies. But when I recalled that twenty minutes to 6 o’clock (“20 to 6”) was the apparition time of Our Lady in Medjugorje, I looked no more.

206 Tours was born in 1985 and has since become the most trusted Catholic Tour Operator in the world.

Thanks be to God, to Our Blessed Mother, to the incredible people of Medjugorje, group leaders, priests, my staff, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to date, for all their trust in me. I surely could not have done it without any of them.

Please feel free to send me your prayer intentions and I will personally bring them to Medjugorje on your behalf! Please email intentions to prayers@206tours.com by June 15th.

Our story began in Medjugorje then, and now, we enter a new chapter!