The parish priest, Fr. Jozo, had been more than 248 miles/400 km away from Medjugorje during the first few days of the apparitions. This left the responsibility of dealing with the children up to his assistant pastor, Fr. Zrinko Cuvalo.
As he did not readily believe in the apparitions, he challenged the children with questions trying to trip them up. He tried to frighten them into confessing the whole thing was fabricated and accused them of being on drugs. He was not successful in leading them towards a confession that they had made up the story.
Fr. Jozo had arrived home Saturday and was shocked and deeply troubled upon discovering the events taking place in his parish over the past three days. It wasn’t until after Mass on Sunday that he, himself was able to meet and question the children.
Vicka reported in an interview with Fr. Janko Bubalo, “After Church, Fr. Jozo called us into the parish house and began to question each of us individually…” What did he ask? “Everything. Everything…whatever came to his head…There was no end.” Fr. Jozo began tape recording conversations with the children:
“…I could listen to them again at night and discover the inconsistencies in what they said. I spoke to them for hours on end, trying to get at the truth. But the more they told me, the more confused I became. They were absolutely overwhelmed by what they had seen: and they couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t believe them. But the more I listened to them, the more insoluble the problem seemed to get.”
Being that it was Sunday, thousands came this day to the hillside; an estimated 15,000. The days had been extremely hot and people had come without food or water. Many had climbed the hill already by noon on this day and sat baking in the sun. Others stationed themselves by the houses of the children.
Around 5:30 p.m. the visionaries gathered and began to squeeze through the crowd.
Vicka said, “If our men folk didn’t make a path for us, we simply could not have gotten to the site.”
Once up on the hill, the crowd made a little room for the six and they began to pray with the people. Almost immediately the light flashed and Our Lady was amongst them all. On this day one of the villagers had brought a tape recorder and taped the whole conversation of the visionaries with Our Lady. They could hear the visionaries ask the questions and then after Our Lady replied, they reported Her response to the people. Following is a transcription of the tape.
Children: “Dear Madonna! What do you wish from us, i.e., the children?
Madonna: “Faith and respect for Me.
Children: “Dear Madonna! What do you wish from our priests?
Madonna: “That they firmly believe.
Children: “Dear Madonna! Why don’t you appear in the Church so that everybody sees you?
Madonna: “Blessed are they who have not seen and believe.
Children: “Dear Madonna! Will you come again? ‘She will; She will come to the same place. She will come.’ Dear Madonna! Which do you like better: that we pray to You or sing to you?
Madonna: “Do both: sing and pray.
Children: “Dear Madonna! What do you wish from these people who have gathered here? At this point, the children said, the Madonna, before She answered: ‘Looked at all the people and smiled.’
Madonna: “Let them believe as if they see.
Children: “She is disappearing. She is gone.”
The Blessed Mother had, indeed, disappeared, but She had not said, “Go in God’s peace,” as was usual. Vicka then said: “We will pray again. She did not say anything to us, meaning She did not say good-bye.” They then joined together to pray two Our Father’s, two Hail Mary’s and two Glory Be’s.
Children: “There She is again! Let us sing a song! Marija began to sing a song: ‘Marijo, Marijo, o kako lijepa si…’
Madonna: “My Angels, my dear angels! Children: “Dear Madonna! What do You wish from these people here? Madonna: “Let these people, who do not see me, believe the same as the six of you, who see me. Children: “Dear Madonna! Will you leave us some sign, here on earth, so that we can convince people that we are not liars, that we do not lie, that we do not play games with You?
Madonna: “Go in God’s peace! Children: “She left! There’s a light behind Her! She is gone!
The children then sang well-known Croatian religious songs: “Sred te se pecine,” “Marijo, O Marijo,” “Kriste; u tvoje ime.” Then the tape ends.