Caritas of Birmingham is a self-described Catholic community founded in 1986 by Terry Colafrancesco in Sterrett, Alabama. It was created to promote the visions of the Virgin Mary as reported by six young people in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, starting in 1981. Colafrancesco, who is known to his followers as “A Friend of Medjugorje,” established the organization after a personal pilgrimage.
In 1988, Colafrancesco invited one of the visionaries, Marija Pavlovic, to his home in Alabama. Pavlovic had traveled to the United States to donate a kidney to her brother, who was a patient at a Birmingham hospital. While staying at Colafrancesco’s residence, she reported experiencing an apparition of the Virgin Mary in his bedroom.
This event quickly transformed Colafrancesco’s property into a pilgrimage site. The bedroom was subsequently named the “Bedroom of Apparitions.” Thousands of people flocked to Sterrett to gather on a large field adjacent to the house, where Pavlovic also reported a vision on Thanksgiving Day. This site became a key part of the Caritas compound.
As the organization expanded, it developed a large campus with various facilities. This included a “Tabernacle of Our Lady’s Messages,” a school, a sawmill, a farm, and a gift shop. The operations were staffed by a community of volunteers who lived on the property, and Colafrancesco’s publishing arm began distributing newsletters to a wide audience.
In 2001, Caritas faced a significant legal challenge when former members filed a lawsuit. The plaintiffs accused Colafrancesco of cult-like control, financial exploitation, and forcing members to live in unsanitary conditions. The lawsuit was settled confidentially in 2005. A separate lawsuit filed by California anti-cult activist Phillip Kronzer resulted in a court order for him to pay Caritas $2 million for violating the terms of the settlement.
Former members and outside observers have accused Colafrancesco of unorthodox teachings, including claims that activities like watching television are mortal sins. The Diocese of Birmingham has maintained that Caritas has no official sanction or connection with the Catholic Church, and has prohibited priests from leading services there. Despite this, Marija Pavlovic has continued to make return visits to the site, drawing large numbers of pilgrims.
Caritas of Birmingham has reported significant annual donations and continues to operate today. Its campus features a 38-foot-tall concrete cross, a replica of one in Medjugorje, and its publishing efforts remain active.
Key Sources:
Foss, S. (2001, March 26). Faith or folly? The Birmingham Post-Herald.
Gates, V. (2012, July 6). Proclaimed Virgin Mary visions draw people to south Alabama. Reuters.
Reeves, J. (2001, December 13). Religious group faces lawsuit labeling it a cult. The Associated Press.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 