The United States Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovinia has made available a hotline for people seeking information about the June 11 bus accident that carried pilgrims from Wisconsin. The hotline number is (888) 407-4747. For more information, please visit this page on the American Embassy web site.

Please pray for all of the pilgrims and their families, their safe return to the United States, and their recovery from injuries sustained in the accident.

June 14 Catholic Herald Article

Community prays for Bosnian bus crash victims

By Cheri Perkins Mantz and Maryangela Layman Román
Catholic Herald Staff

Members of the Trinity Academy family have been keeping vigil in the school’s chapel since late Monday afternoon when they received word of a bus accident in Bosnia involving nine members of their school community. Trinity Academy is a K5-12 independent school in Pewaukee.

The bus, carrying 34 Americans, 33 of them from Wisconsin, collided with a truck in Tarcin, a city about 12 miles south of Sarajevo. The bus tumbled about 40 feet down an embankment and ended up in a river.

The crash injured 27 Americans and the Bosnian driver. Frank “Andy” Meier, a member of St. Anthony Parish, Milwaukee, who was traveling with his wife, Elizabeth and their three children, Sammy, Madeline and Frankie, was the most seriously injured, according to Liz Noack, a Trinity Academy parent who was answering reporters’ calls on Tuesday.

Meier, owner of Hydro Flo Products, Inc., Brookfield, sustained back and head injuries, according to Noack, but she noted the Trinity community was relieved to hear late Tuesday morning that he pulled through an initial back surgery.

The school community is receiving regular telephone updates from Bosnia from Elizabeth Meier.

The group left Wisconsin Sunday for an 11-day pilgrimage to Medjugorje led by JMJ Tours and Pilgrimages, a tour company operated by Joyce Lightner, mother of Fr. Michael Lightner, associate pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish, Cedarburg.

Fr. Rick Wendell, associate pastor of Holy Angels Parish, West Bend, since being ordained last year, was serving as spiritual advisor for the group which had planned to visit the site of alleged Marian apparitions visited by thousands of pilgrims annually.

According to Milwaukee Archdiocesan spokesperson Kathleen Hohl, the group was independent, not in any way sponsored by the archdiocese or a local parish.

Fr. Wendell surprised Barb Vander Wielen, the parish’s secretary, by calling from Bosnia on Tuesday.

“His mood was good,” she said. “I think he was basically concerned with the people that are there and injured. He’s fine, but he suffered a broken wrist.”

The priest spoke briefly with Vander Wielen about the accident.

“Basically, it was raining and a truck jackknifed,” she explained. “The bus swerved to avoid it and he thought they’d make it around the truck, but they didn’t. They hit the guardrail and went down a hill and landed in a river. He said it was very scary. He said everyone got jostled around and that there are a lot of people who are injured. I guess there’s a few people still in the hospital, and about 16 of the people have gone on to Medjugorje.”

Deacon Mark Jansen, Holy Angels’ youth minister, said that they are unsure of when Fr. Wendell will return to West Bend.

“We don’t know when he’ll be back and we don’t know if Father has made that decision,” he said.

Deacon Jansen said parish staff members agreed that Fr. Wendell would be an asset during a crisis.

“He’d be the first person to do whatever he could to make sure everyone is safe and cared for, without question,” said Deacon Jansen. “I’d venture to say he was doing that even with his injured arm.”

Both Vander Wielen and Deacon Jansen said Fr. Wendell is popular at his parish.

“He’s very popular and very much loved at Holy Angels,” said Jansen. “He’s very much an important part of our staff.”

Other members of the Trinity Academy family who were on the bus included Kevin and Leslie O’Brien, members of St. Anthony Parish, Pewaukee, and Tom and Gwen Carroll. The O’Briens were organizers of the Men’s Conference held in February in West Bend.

According to Noack, two of the Meier children were hospitalized overnight for observation, but their injuries do not appear serious. Elizabeth suffered cuts, bruises and a black eye, she added.

While school is out at Trinity Academy for the summer, Noack said school families gathered at the school almost immediately after receiving news of the accident. By 5 p.m., the chapel was filled.

“We initially heard the news about 3:30 p.m. and when I came over here at 5 p.m., I could not believe how many people were here,” said Noack. “Where else does this (outpouring of support) happen? I’m so grateful for my Catholic faith and this Catholic school and being around the kind of people where (coming together in prayer) is their first thought.”

Noack said she is worried about Andy Meier, but remains optimistic.

“I’m worried for my friends, worried about Andy’s health and worried that he and his wife get home safely and even about him living, but I do know God has a plan for this, God knew where they were going, God knew where they were.”

Noack said Fr. Bruce Brentrup, a Latin instructor at the school, celebrated Mass for the community Monday evening and led them in two rosaries. She added that the Trinity community plans to continue its vigil before the Blessed Sacrament in the school chapel.

Visitors have been flocking to the Bosnian village of Medjugorje for 26 years since six child visionaries claimed to have received visits from Mary. Since 1981, the alleged visionaries together claim to have received more than 30,000 messages. According to a July 2006 CNS news report, the Vatican continues to monitor events at Medjugorje where the apparitions allegedly continue, but has not taken a formal position other than to support the Bosnian bishops’ ban on official pilgrimages.

Last July, Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina announced a commission would be formed to review the alleged apparitions.