Albania
Albania: The Quran and the Madonna with the Child
Missionary October in Southern Albania Communion of charisms and trust in the Spirit: this could summarise the missionary experience that we Redemptorists are developing in southern Albania. . A journey to the South (Pope Francis calls it “peripheries”) I remember that in my formative years, I read with interest a beautiful book by Fr Manuel Gómez Ríos entitled “Alfonso de Ligorio: un camino hacia el sur” (Madrid 1986). This book highlighted how our Founder, a man of the South, chose to be on the margins of society, on the frontiers of...
read moreEaster among young people in Albania
For our parish and our community in Albania, preparation for Easter began much earlier. On March 14, together with a group of about 50 boys, we spent a day of recollection, making a pilgrimage to Scutari, in the north of the country, the Catholic heart of Albania. Here we visited the prisons where some Catholics (overall there are seven bishops, more than a hundred priests, dozens of religious, and hundreds of lay people) were brutally tortured and killed during the communist regime of Enver Hoxha. In the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, we...
read more“A great light” among the young people in Albania!
“I looked forward to this celebration with more joy than my birthday! “. I begin this chronicle with an expression from the performance that the young people of the Redemptorist Parish “St. Alphonsus” of Kamëz prepared for Christmas. I begin with this phrase not out of place, as it highlights the importance of Christmas for the Albanian people. Indeed, it was not always so easy for us Albanians to celebrate Christmas because, for 45 consecutive years, we were denied this right by the communist regime, which began in 1945 and ended in 1990....
read moreChristmas 2022 – Letter of the Coordinator (20.12.2022)
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests. Luke 2, 14 . Dear confreres, Dear sisters, Dear partners in mission, The angels’ message of peace to the shepherds, which is part of the Christmas message, does not correspond at all to the reality of us in Europe this year. Since February, the war that Russia has started against Ukraine has taken on terrible proportions and there is no end in sight. The consequences of the aggression are first felt by the people in Ukraine itself, but then repercussions...
read moreAlbania: Visit of the Superior General, Fr Rogério Gomes CSsR
Our community in Albania hosted our newly elected Superior General of the Redemptorist Congregation, Fr Rogério Gomes CSsR. It was a fraternal visit from 18-21 November 2022. During these few days, we spent time together talking about the realities of life in Albania, the problems and the joys that accompany us. In between breaks in the rain, we visited the country’s capital Tirana and Kruje, a historical site. Fr. Rogério could see what our work in the parish is like. He participated in catechesis with the children, starting with a prayer...
read moreS. Alphonsus… in southern Albania!
“They will help the people scattered throughout the countryside and rural villages, most deprived and destitute of spiritual relief, with missions”: with these words, our Founder, St Alphonsus, began to write the Rule of our Institute. Over the years, we often ask ourselves who are the poor to whom we should proclaim the Word, and what are the “campaigns” where we should go to bring the good news of the Gospel. In Albania, the question is much simpler because one can literally interpret our Founder’s words. The countryside and rural villages...
read moreThe challenge of the popular missions in Albania
The Redemptorist charism, in our history of ministry to the Church, stands out above all for the popular missions. But we know that already in the early days, with the experience of St. Clement Mary Hofbauer in Central Europe, the Redemptorists had to find new ways to realise their founding charism. In Albania, the Redemptorists arrived in 2014 in a context of missionary urgency, given the lack of sufficient priests to minister to the Catholic faithful. The Redemptorist community has taken up the ministry in Kamëz, probably the country’s...
read moreChristmas 2021 – Letter of the Coordinator (20.12.2021)
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1, 78.79 . Dear confreres, Dear sisters, Dear partners in mission, There are situations and times when we are particularly attentive and receptive to the promise of Christmas. In the Gospel according to Luke, for example, this is captured in the words of the Benedictus, the words of the hymn in which the surprising, human and world-changing...
read moreAlbania: a new confrere and a visit of the Europe Coordinator
New confrere in the Mission of Albania On 11 September, Fr. Zbigniew Kwiecien, coming from the Province of Warsaw, joined the interprovincial community in Albania. This assignment is not his first missionary experience, for he has spent years in Argentina, announcing the Good News in the great steppes of South America. He has also carried out his ministry in his home province, both in parishes, schools and parish missions preaching. With his incorporation, the Mission of Albania counts three confreres again, two from Poland and one from...
read more“The Glories of Mary” in Albania
Paraphrasing our Father and Founder and author of “The Glories of Mary”, we could begin these lines by saying: “Beloved Redeemer and my Lord Jesus Christ, we unworthy servants of yours, knowing how pleased you are with those who seek to glorify your Most Holy Mother, whom you love so much and wish so much to see loved and honoured by all, have thought of publishing this little article which speaks of her glories.” First of all, one could notice that Albania is not really a ‘Land of Mary Most Holy’, since its inhabitants, even non-Catholics,...
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