AN SCJ PRESENCE IN ALBANIA

Father Mario Bosio, SCJ
Father Michael Bulmetti, SCJ

This article on the SCJ presence in Albania was written by two of our SCJs who worked in that country for more than ten years. One of the authors, Father Bulmetti, died suddenly on April 4, 1999. He dedicated the last weeks of his life entirely to the Kosovar refugees. Born in Portocannone, an Albanian village in Molise, he was ordained a priest in 1968 and lived for some years as a missionary in Mozambique. When this mission was hindered by the advent of communism he moved to the mission in Madagascar. A short time later he had to leave because of illness and he returned to Italy. As soon as the frontiers of Albania opened, thanks to the fall of communism, Fr. Michael asked to return to the land of his ancestors.

Father Michael was a tireless apostle from 1991 until 1999 when he died from acute asthma. Numerous people attended his funeral, some coming from distant places. There were Catholics and Muslims, authorities and ordinary people, the generous sisters who had collaborated with him, and the Kosovars whom he had received into his home and in the church which he himself built for the Lord. Coming face to face with so many people who lived in poverty and were crushed with grief, he was convinced that the best way to utilize the church he had built was to put it in the service of charity.

A few days before his death one of the young brethren from the community in Rome, Fr. Stefan Tretünte, SCJ, spoke with him by telephone. Fr. Bulmetti was asked if his region was suffering greatly because of the effects of the war. He replied: "Of course. More than 1,000 Kosovar refugees have found sanctuary in our parishes. We are about 20 miles from the frontier with Montenegro, and every day more and more refugees arrive from there. There is a refugee camp a few miles from us 0where 5,000 Kosovars live. The refugees are mostly Muslims and they always associate three things together: Milosevic - the Cross - Christians! They come to us with this mentality. And then? And then things happen that I would have never expected to see: a Muslim from Kosovo - from a group known to be fanatics - accepted the visit and the help of a Catholic priest. I would never have imagined it. Even in this tragedy there is a possibility. I am convinced that these Kosovars, after having experienced the kindness of Christians who ask absolutely nothing for the aid they give, will have another image of what it means to be Christian when they go back to their country. Basically this catastrophe drives us and helps us to encounter each other simply, like brothers." Only 6 days after this telephone call Fr. Michael died.

Albania is a small state, less 30,000 square kilometers in size. It has a young population of barely 3.5 million inhabitants. It is the only European country with a Muslim majority, estimated to be about 70%, while the remaining 17% and 13% are respectively Orthodox and Catholics. A bridge between the east and the west, it has always been crossed and conquered by invading armies.

It has been under Turkish-Muslim dominion since 1479; in 1912, although remaining under their power, it acquired a certain autonomy. Almost immediately it was invaded by the armies of the First and Second World War. At the end of World War Two the most terrible of communist regimes came to power, taking away every liberty, destroying the churches, killing the priests. In 1967 it reached the height of terror and was the only nation in the world to declare itself atheistic. The dictatorship held out until 1991 when, with the predominant contribution of the Catholics, the revolution began which was to lead these people to freedom.

The dictatorship built 800,000 bunkers and set up a regime of terror and suspicion. There was an informer in every house. It robbed the people of hope and of the desire to build their future. Christians took refuge in the inaccessible villages in the mountains of the north. They kept their faith but they lived by the traditions sanctioned in a 15th century book which is still used as their text: the CANONS.

The Story of Gürez

In 1991, because of the courage of Fr. Michele Bulmetti, SCJ, who spoke Arberesh (an Albanian dialect), the adventure of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in Albania began. Fr. Michele was one of the first priests to set foot in Albania. In June of 1994 he was joined by Fr. Mario Bosio.

Fr. Michael chose a place of deep Christian traditions in which to set up the work of the Lord. The earth was wet with the blood of many martyrs, among whom was the priest Don Stefano Curtis. After the communists had killed the priests, they razed the church and the Catholic school to the ground. Fr. Michael, with great courage and enormous personal sacrifices, partly because of his bad health, wanted to make it so that both the church and hope would rise once again, and he succeeded. The place is called Gürez and it is set on the plane to the north of Durazzo and Tirana. It covers an area of about 140 square kilometers. and includes six villages. It has a population estimated at between 10,000 to 12,000 inhabitants, of which 90% are Catholics.

Having been given almost three hectares of land, with the encouragement of the SCJ Provincial community in South Italy, the help of many good people, the enthusiasm of SCJ students from Andria and Bologna, and the constructive presence of voluntary workers, Fr. Michael laid the foundations for a great work. The church is in the center, to the left there is the house of the wonderful Brazilian Sisters with their out-patient clinic, nursery school, department for the reception of voluntary workers and space for the formation of young people. On the right there is the chapel, several rooms for catechesis, the parish offices, the house for SCJ religious brothers and seminarians, the storerooms and whatever space is necessary for receiving groups.

The house is currently inhabited by religious sisters and by SCJ priests. It does not yet have everything that is necessary, but it has the essentials needed for living there with dignity. With the work of our hands and the help of the volunteers and the students from Bologna, hydraulic and electric systems have been installed, thus saving a large amount of money on the cost. They have put the roof on the church, a gift from the South Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

The Story of the Seminary of Scutari

The SCJ presence in Scutari began on September 17,1994 when Fr. Mario Bosio, SCJ, was sent to Albania.

Three young men asked to be accepted into the seminary, but the only seminary in Albania is in Scutari. The public schools do not offer guarantees either for studies or for religious formation and, apart from Gurez, there is no other place where these young people can be received. They decided reluctantly on Scutari where they stayed in rented rooms with a good family. In the seminary there was barely room for them to study. The conditions were extremely poor, but they continued with great courage. Living is reduced to the essentials. At times one tries, with strength from the Lord, to just survive and persevere. Our worst moment was when a seminarian disappeared without letting us know anything; we know now that he ran away to Italy. We were also once given a warning, a pistol was fired at our car, but we have continued to hope and to struggle and, with the grace of the Lord, we have succeeded.

Other young people knocked on our door asking to enter the seminary. The house we were living in was no longer sufficient and, after a long period of searching, we found one which seemed suitable and.

We started the second year with six seminarians. Fr. Michael lived in Gurez and was also responsible for the parish of Milot. Fr. Mario lived in Scutari but on Sundays, he set off early with some seminarians and to help Father Michael. The distance between Scutari and Gurez is 80 kilometers and on Albanian roads the trip takes almost two hours. Some other seminarians stay in Scutari and look after the situation there on their own. Fr. Michael came to Scutari nearly every week.

During the week some of the sisters and go up with Fr. Mario to the villages in the mountains to teach catechism. There are several young people in these villages who are preparing to enter our seminary.

The house for receiving the seminarians is small. There is a woman who comes for a few hours in the morning five days a week. The seminarians and Father Mario do all the rest of the work by ourselves, both the cooking and cleaning as well as the maintenance of the house. The daily prayer schedule includes the following: in the morning there is the Angelus, the act of oblation, prayer for our superiors, lauds and meditation; in the afternoon, at 6:00pm, there is the Holy Mass with catechisis, followed by adoration of the Holy Sacrament and benediction; in the evening the Holy Rosary.

The Near Future for Gürez

The parish of Gurez is currently in good condition. It has enough buildings, the Brazilian Sisters work well, catechesis is organized and there are two choir schools. We frequently receive scouts, committed groups and volunteer workers. It will be even better when the church, the parish halls and the nursery schools are fully functioning. However, the parish includes five other villages. In one village they are starting to build a chapel and a room for catechesis. In the village of Adriatik, we are reorganizing an old building to adapt it as a house for the sisters, an out-patient clinic and a chapel. There are three other villages where there is a great deal to be done.

The Near Future for Scutari

The Scutari house is performing an excellent service in a strategic point: near to the railway station and not far from the seminary. The SCJs want to dream about the future with more seminarians! Looking ahead it seems that we might prudently suggest the following: we could buy a piece of land near to what we already have (our land is only 810 square meters including the house), if it is for sale, since we will need other living space for studying, sleeping and for recreation.

Conclusion

The SCJs want to continue dreaming, but always with our feet on the ground. For Albania this is the hour of God, and the people wait for a salvation other than that of fleeing from their homeland. We must make our commitment now, while something can still be done. We, like the people, are not naive and we wonder what the future will bring. The past could return, stealing everything from us and threatening everything, our lives included. But is not the future in the hands of God? Strong with this faith and deep-rooted in hope, the SCJs go ahead scattering the seed without knowing who will sow it. We are part of the story of this country and we cannot remain indifferent. We cannot disappoint and betray the love of God and the hopes and expectations of the poor.