MADISON — Len Hornung, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison, attended a recent national Marian Conference at Notre Dame.
While he was there, an exhibit promoted a film called Apparition Hill. This film chronicles the journey of seven strangers who travel to the village of Medjugorje.
After the conference, Len and his wife, Paula, attended a showing of the film in Menomonie, Wis. “The film was very moving. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Len said.
About the film
Len called the film “very compelling.” The documentary is the fruit of a groundbreaking concept using a video contest and crowd-funding campaign to send five individuals to Medjugorje, a village nestled between two mountains along the border of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, where Mary has apparently appeared for the last 35 years. The contest surpassed expectations and the “pilgrimage” added two additional travelers.
Medjugorje has been a topic of controversy as millions of people visit the town each year to see whether the legend is true. The film’s producer Sean Bloomfield is careful to present Medjugorje in a manner that respects the Church’s authority on the validity of these alleged apparitions. The Church has said that no ruling on the validity can be made until after the apparitions have ceased.
The “pilgrims” in the film include two atheists, a young mother with stage four cancer, a Catholic convert, a father of nine who lost his wife, a man with ALS, and a drug addict.
Showing in Madison
Len was so impressed by the film that he is sponsoring two showings of Apparition Hill at Marcus Point Cinema in Madison. The showings will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1, and Wednesday, Aug. 3.
The price will be $15 per person with all proceeds going to the Women’s Care Center Foundation in Madison.
There is limited seating. Those attending must sign up ahead of time. To order tickets, call 608-662-8744 or email lenhornung5@gmail.com
For more information on the film and to view a trailer, visit www.apparitionhill.tv