The first Carmelite convent in Albania was inaugurated in recent days in the parish of Nenshat (diocese of Sapë). It was founded thanks to some Carmelite sisters from Croatia. The “Carmelite convent of the Holy Family and St. Michael” is the first monastery of discalced Carmelite Sisters in this country where Catholics represent only 10% of the population, while 70% of the inhabitants declare themselves Moslems and 20% Orthodox. The community consists of six nuns, four of Croatian and two of Albanian nationality. Also Albanian is the young postulant who joined the community on the day of the convent’s consecration. After decades of Communist dictatorship, that caused the destruction of thousands of churches and mosques, religious freedom has been re-established. There are six Catholic dioceses: that of Sapë, which comprises almost 100,000 faithful, is entrusted to five diocesan priests helped by three Capuchin missionaries and a Franciscan from Italy.
