Police arrested a man in the Ljubuški area after overnight attacks in Medjugorje damaged prayer sites and a fire was set at the outdoor altar of St. James Church.
At about 4:30 a.m., officers were told the image of Our Lady on Apparition Hill had been smeared with black paint and offensive messages; roughly 30 minutes later, they received a report of the altar fire.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a man pouring a liquid believed to be petrol over the altar before igniting it; investigators are still examining motive and whether the suspect carried out all the acts.
Medjugorje parish condemned the vandalism, began immediate cleanup and repairs, and urged pilgrims to answer with prayer, fasting and forgiveness rather than retaliation.
The shrine remains open and its prayer program continues; the attack comes after the Vatican in September 2024 authorized public devotion linked to Medjugorje while stopping short of affirming the apparitions as supernatural.