About

Feeling at Home with Our Mother

One bright morning in Medjugorje, while working as a journalist, Fr. Slavko invited me to
visit his mother’s home in Citluk. As we stepped inside, the rich aroma of Turkish coffee
filled the air, and family members gathered, chatting and laughing. Yet, despite the
warmth of the room, something felt missing. “Where is everybody?” Fr. Slavko asked,
surprising me. His mother wasn’t there. Later, he reflected, “Even if a house is full,
without the mother, it feels empty.”

Years later, as a mother myself, his words came rushing back to me. Life was busy—my
son, Patrick, had just started kindergarten, and I longed for time to go a pilgrimage. With
my mother-in-law’s always ready to help with my then four-year-old, I traveled to
Medjugorje,. One evening, I called home. Patrick excitedly told me about school,
grandma’s perfect quesadillas (never burnt like mine!), and how Daddy didn’t need to
open windows when she cooked. But then his voice softened, and he said, “Mama, I’m
so homesick.”

I smiled, thinking of all the love surrounding him—his favorite meals, new friends, and
preparing for a pizza birthday party. But his heart knew what truly made a home. “It’s not
home without you, Mama,” he said through quiet tears.

At that moment, I understood in a way I never had before—the irreplaceable role of a
mother. Just as Patrick longed for my presence, how often had I sought comfort in Our
Blessed Mother? How many times had I held my rosary, leaning on her love, feeling at
home in her embrace? There is no substitute for a mother. There is no substitute for her
guiding presence in our lives.

Today, we invite you to pray the rosary with us. As you pray, know that Our Blessed
Mother is with you. And know that no matter where you are in the world, with the rosary
in your hand and each Hail Mary that you recite, you, too, will feel at home with her
comforting presence.

- Geraldine Hemmings-Salgado