Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic, the oldest of the six Medjugorje visionaries, has long been a beacon of faith, known for her radiant smile and unwavering devotion to the messages of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace. Born on September 3, 1964, in Bijakovici, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vicka was just 16 when the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary began in 1981. Over the decades, her experiences with suffering—both physical and spiritual—have shaped her profound insights into its meaning and purpose, offering inspiration to millions of pilgrims worldwide. Drawing from her interviews and testimonies, this article explores Vicka’s perspective on human suffering, emphasizing its transformative power when offered with love.

A Personal Journey Through Suffering

Vicka’s understanding of suffering is deeply rooted in her own experiences. In the late 1980s, she endured a mysterious illness, believed to be a brain tumor, which caused severe headaches, high fevers, and periods of semi-consciousness or comas. This affliction began shortly after a profound spiritual encounter when Our Lady took Vicka and fellow visionary Jakov Colo to visit Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Moved by compassion for the souls in Purgatory, Vicka offered herself for their expiation, a request Our Lady accepted after ensuring Vicka understood its gravity. The illness that followed was intense, yet Vicka remained steadfast, often awakening just before her daily apparitions to appear joyful and serene, her smile unbroken despite her pain.

In January 1988, Our Lady informed Vicka that her suffering would end on September 25, 1988, a date she shared only with her confessor and a commission investigating the apparitions, sealed in an envelope. On the promised date, her symptoms vanished completely, a medically documented event that stunned observers and reinforced the authenticity of her experiences. Vicka later revealed that her suffering was for the salvation of souls, a sacrifice she embraced willingly.

Vicka’s trials didn’t end there. In 2010, she suffered a severe back injury, and in 2011, a pilgrim accidentally injured her arm, causing significant pain. Despite these setbacks, Vicka continued to meet pilgrims, her joy undiminished. She has also been asked by Our Lady to forgo her daily apparitions for extended periods—sometimes up to 50 days—as an offering for specific intentions, a sacrifice she describes as among her most challenging. Yet, through it all, her perspective remains consistent: suffering, when offered for love, becomes a gift.

Suffering as a Gift and Joy

In a notable interview with Father Livio Fanzaga on Radio Maria, Vicka articulated her view on suffering with clarity and conviction: “My suffering is a gift…. I am not saying that we are always 100% ready to embrace suffering, but I have a great desire, a great joy to suffer something for the Madonna and for Jesus. There is nothing that I wouldn’t willingly suffer for them.” She emphasized that suffering offered for love is not a burden but a pathway to joy, stating, “When we offer our suffering for love, it is not really suffering. It is a joy because the fruit of suffering is Heaven.” This perspective transforms suffering from a source of despair into a purposeful act of devotion, aligning with the spiritual call to carry one’s cross with grace.

Vicka distinguishes between two types of suffering: that which God permits and that which humans bring upon themselves. “There is the suffering that God gives and there is the suffering that we make for ourselves, and these are two different things, they don’t have the same value,” she explained. Suffering permitted by God, she believes, holds immense value in His eyes, serving as a means to draw closer to Him and to aid others, such as the souls in Purgatory or those in need of conversion. Self-inflicted suffering, however, lacks this redemptive quality, underscoring the importance of discernment in how we approach life’s challenges.

A Call to Embrace Suffering with Faith

Vicka’s teachings on suffering are inseparable from her broader message of living Our Lady’s calls to prayer, fasting, confession, and conversion. She encourages believers to see suffering not as a punishment but as an opportunity to grow in faith and contribute to God’s plan. In a 2011 talk, she urged pilgrims to pray with open hearts, particularly at 6:40 p.m., the time of her daily apparitions, and to offer their struggles to Our Lady for her intentions. “Our Lady says we need to pray for peace, but we need to pray together with Her to pray for Her intentions, that we help Her plans be realized,” she said, linking personal suffering to the broader mission of peace and salvation.

Her own life exemplifies this approach. Despite physical ailments and the emotional weight of forgoing apparitions, Vicka’s constant smile and cheerful demeanor have inspired countless pilgrims. As Rolling Stone reporter Randall Sullivan noted after meeting her in 1995, Vicka’s presence was so profound that it eclipsed even his encounter with the Dalai Lama, leaving him unable to ask simple questions in the face of her radiant faith. Her joy, rooted in her acceptance of suffering, has been a catalyst for conversions and healings, with at least two miraculous healings attributed to her prayers.

A Lasting Witness

Now 60, married to Mario Mijatovic, and mother to two children, Maria-Sofija and Ante, Vicka lives a quieter life in Krehin Gradac, near Medjugorje. She continues to receive daily apparitions and has been entrusted with nine of the ten secrets from Our Lady, with a special mission to pray for the sick. Her life story, dictated by Our Lady from 1982 to 1985, remains in notebooks she guards until permitted to share them, a testament to her role as a faithful servant.

Vicka’s message on suffering resonates deeply in a world often overwhelmed by pain and uncertainty. She reminds us that suffering,-when offered with love, becomes a powerful act of faith, capable of transforming not only the sufferer but also those around them. Her words, delivered with her characteristic smile, echo the call of Our Lady in Medjugorje: to live with open hearts, to pray, and to embrace life’s crosses as a means to draw closer to God. As she once told pilgrims, “Those who know God are filled with immense joy to do the least little thing to bring someone near to God.” Through her example, Vicka continues to inspire millions to find joy in suffering, trusting in its eternal purpose.