...The Monastery of Ostrog is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church situated against an almost vertical background, high up in the large rock of Ostroška Greda, in Montenegro. It is dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog, who was buried here. From the monastery, a superb view of the Bjelopavlići plain can be seen...

Resting improbably – miraculously? – in a cliff face 900m above the Zeta valley, the gleaming white Ostrog Monastery is the most important site in Montenegro for Orthodox Christians, attracting up to a million visitors annually...

...Among the more well-known Medjugorje miracles is the one involving Susan Tassone, who healed on the 1994 Easter at the Hill of Apparition in Medjugorje. “In 1983, I had a traffic accident while crossing a street in Chicago. The impact was so powerful that I fell under the car which hit me once more...

...Kumanica Monastery is located at the southwestern-most part of Serbia, between Prijepolje and Bijelo Polje, 13 km away from Brodarevo, so one immediately reaches it after crossing the border between Serbia and Montenegro. The Kumanica Monastery actually lies is the Vrbnica village, at the beginning of the gorge of the speed Lim River, on the right-hand side of the railway Belgrade – Bar.

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...If you visit the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Shrine in Quebec, you might be a bit puzzled by the sight of all the crutches leaning against the basilica. The reason why there are so many crutches is because people leave them there after they are healed. The basilica is dedicated to Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. During a harsh storm, sailors on a ship prayed to Saint Anne. They swore they would build a chapel for her if she delivered them safely from the storm. When the sailors landed, they erected a shrine dedicated to Saint Anne. Later, a full church was constructed. When the chapel was being built, a man who was suffering from rheumatism placed three stones on the foundation. Instantly, he found himself free of all aches and pains. More and more people followed after, each seeking their own healing miracle. Those that came in on crutches and braces would walk out without them, choosing instead to leave them behind as a testament to the healing power of the church.

...Please don’t hate us. We tried our best, but writing jokes are not our forte. Anyways, each year, over 1.5 million people visit the Knock Shrine. The story goes back to 1879. One rainy night, Mary Beirne saw three figures standing in the gable of the church. Other people gathered around, and all claimed that the three figures were Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Evangelist. The witnesses stayed around the apparition reciting the rosary. Since then, a number of miracles have occurred here. One woman, Marion Carroll, visited the church when she was suffering from multiple sclerosis. After leaving, all her pain went away. Her story was even sent to the Vatican for confirmation. People even visit the shrine when they have financial issues. One man went to the holy area and prayed to the Virgin Mary asking for help with his financial problems. Soon, all his issues were resolved and he gave thanks to Mother Mary and the Knock church.

"...It is said that the water has curing properties, and since then, people all over the world come to drink and bathe from it."

Cases of cancer, blindness, nervous disorders, and paralysis have all been cured by these waters. Nobody can explain how these miracles are happening. The water has been tested multiple times, and there are no unique properties about it...

...Every year, over six million people pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. The reason is that in 1858, Bernadette Soubirous saw a beautiful woman dressed in white standing outside of town. Over a series of 18 visions, the woman was revealed to be Mary, and she was asking for a chapel to be built. In 1862, the bishop delivered a verdict saying that Bernadette indeed saw the Virgin Mary and more people came to visit the chapel. During one of the 18 visions, Bernadette fell into a trance and began digging with her bare hands at the site. Eventually, water appeared and turned into a spring.

...After reports that miraculous healings were occurring, the chapel expanded into a larger church. Inside the church is a small well where thousands of people scoop up handfuls of red soil. They take the soil and rub it on their bodies and some even go so far as to eat it. You may be thinking this sounds bizarre, but people believe that the dirt here can cure diseases. The belief runs so strongly that people will walk miles to worship at this church. Some people will come bearing heavy crosses while others will arrive on their knees. All come in hopes that the chapel and its dirt will cure them.

...El Santuario de Chimayó had a mysterious beginning when a half-buried crucifix was found miles away from the nearest church. The cross was dug up and brought to the church, but somehow disappeared in the middle of the night. Somehow, the cross reappeared in its original location. Again, the cross was dug out and brought to the church, and again it disappeared in the middle of the night. On the third such occasion, the message was finally received. This was a sacred spot. The cross was left where it was found and a shrine was built.

...This Marian shrine has a fascinating beginning. On December 9th, 1531, Juan Diego saw a vision of Mother Mary. She asked him to help her ask the local bishop to build a sanctuary for her. When Juan Diego first approached the bishop, he was turned away. Again and again, the bishop refused to believe him. On the fourth time, Mother Mary sent Juan Diego back to the bishop with a cloak full of roses that she had made bloom in the middle of winter. When Juan Diego opened the cloak, the roses had transformed into an image of the Virgin Mary.

...So what is that that gives these people the elixir of life? It all comes down to a few specific things—social relationships, plant-based diet, staying active, and gardening. It may sound odd, but the combination of all of these clearly work if we look at mortality rates on these islands. Okinawans have healthy social relationships. Everyone has a close circle that they know they can always depend on during difficult times, so they have less stress. Okinawans eat primarily vegetables such as tofu and sweet potatoes. With each meal being high in nutrients and low in calories, most people are very healthy. Okinawans also know the importance of being active. And with living on such gorgeous islands, it isn’t hard to take a walk every day. Finally, gardening their own vegetables and medicinal herbs is a fantastic way to lower stress and get active.

...Consequently this “Island of the Sun” became a key religious centre, and pilgrims from across the empire came to visit its shrines. Today you can sail across to the car-free island to walk the flagstoned paths, visit temple ruins, stay at a posada and soak up the stirring snowcapped-Andes views.

...Lake Titicaca, straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains, is one of South America's largest lakes and the world’s highest navigable body of water. Said to be the birthplace of the Incas, it’s home to numerous ruins. Its waters are famously still and brightly reflective. Around it is Titicaca National Reserve, sheltering rare aquatic wildlife such as giant frogs.

...Born in Pietrelcina, this extraordinary saint (the only Catholic Priest to have received the stigmata), well deserves a 2 day visit in his hometown. "In Pietrelcina, there was Jesus and it all started there" said Padre Pio...

...Paro Taktsang, is a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and the temple complex is located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. A temple complex was first built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated for Four Months in the 8th century.

...Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.

...Bethlehem lies 10 kilometres south of the city of Jerusalem, in the fertile limestone hill country of the Holy Land. Since at least the 2nd century AD people have believed that the place where the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, now stands is where Jesus was born.

...The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, or simply Saint Peter's Basilica, is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave which is within the city of Rome.