The Orthodox Church of Albania
Since the church was reestablished in 1991, 90 new churches have been built, five monasteries and 80 churches/monuments have been renovated and restored, and more than 140 churches have been repaired, as compared to the original 324 churches confiscated by the communist regime. This large-scale rebuilding program is still underway.
In March 1992 the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy was opened in an abandoned hotel in Durrës, where about 60 young men began to study for the priesthood. The seminary moved into newly constructed quarters at St. Vlash Monastery in Durrës in late 1996. In September 1998, Holy Cross Ecclesiastical High School opened in Gjirokastër, where housing is available for 90 students. When the communist government fell there were only 22 surviving Orthodox priests in the country; only three of them were still alive in 2003. By 2005, 193 students had graduated from the seminary. One hundred twenty-five of them were serving as priests, but there was still a severe shortage of clergy.
A monthly official church periodical, Ngjallia (“Resurrection”), began publication in October 1992, and in 1997 an Orthodox radio station with the same name began broadcasting. Several other publications have also appeared, including a monthly children’s magazine, a student bulletin, and an English-language news bulletin.
In North America there are two separate Albanian Orthodox jurisdictions. The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America, which makes up a distinct ethnic diocese within the Orthodox Church in America and has 13 parishes, is administered by Bishop Nikon of Boston. The diocesan chancery is at 523 E. Broadway, South Boston, Massachusetts 02127-4415. The Albanian Orthodox Diocese in America, which has parishes in Chicago and South Boston, is under the spiritual care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Location: Albania, small diaspora
Head: Metropolitan Anastasios (born 1929, elected 1992)
Title: Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania
Residence: Tirana, Albania
Membership: 700,000
Website: www.orthodoxalbania.org
Last Modified: 28 Jun 2007