Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America

The Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America (Albanian:

Albanian Orthodox
Dioqeza ortodokse shqiptare në Amerikë) is a jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States. Diocese of America
Dioqeza ortodokse
shqiptare në Amerikë
History
In the first half of the 20th century, the Orthodox Albanian
communities in America were loosely affiliated with one another,
with six of fifteen communities claiming "independent" status and
the others not incorporated as dioceses until after the Second
World War. The earliest organized Albanian dioceses were set up
under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic
Church (now Orthodox Church in America), because the Church
of Constantinople would not allow the rise of any Albanian
Orthodox Church and officially opposed the use of the Albanian
language in churches until 1937 when the Autocephalic Orthodox
Church of Albania was recognized by Constantinople.[1][2][3]
These early Albanian dioceses in America were led by Fan S. Bishop Ilia (Katre), in 2008.
Noli, and in 1908 a translation of the liturgy into Albanian was
Location
made. After political dislocations following the October
Revolution of 1917 in Russia, all ties with the Russian Orthodox Territory United States,
church were severed, and the Albanian churches under Noli Canada
became independent.[4] In the 1920s Noli was exiled to Germany, Headquarters Las Vegas,
returning in 1932. His return reopened the discussion of the need Nevada
for a canonical Albanian diocese in North America; Noli had been
Information
consecrated in 1922 as Bishop of Durrës by the Church of
Albania, which did not claim any jurisdiction in North America, so Denomination Eastern
he could not gain recognition as head of a diocese in the Americas. Orthodox
Sui iuris Ecumenical
Dioceses church Patriarchate
Rite Byzantine
With the controversy around Bp. Theofan's status, the end of
Established 1949
World War II, and the increasing suppression and manipulation of
Boston, USA
the Albanian Orthodox Church by the new Communist
government, a significant portion of Orthodox Albanian- by Athenagoras
Americans petitioned the patriarch of Constantinople, (Spyrou)
Athenagoras, to send a canonical bishop. Mark (Lipa) organized Language Albanian, English
the diocese in 1950 and accepted into it the large community in
Music Byzantine chant
Chicago and an older parish, the first of three Albanian Orthodox
parishes to locate in South Boston. Website
Albanian Orthodox Diocese in
Ten other Albanian Orthodox parishes incorporated under Bp.
America (http://www.goarch.org/arc
Theofan's archdiocese and two parishes persisted in an
hdiocese/otherpatriarchal/alb/index
"independent" status.
_html), at the website of the GOA
In 1965 at the passing of Bp. Theofan, without an archdiocesan nomination and under the cloud of
Communist influence, the Albanian Orthodox Church consecrated his successor, Bp. Stephen (Lasko), who
was not accepted throughout the archdiocese and who likewise could not gain canonical recognition by the
other Orthodox jurisdictions in North America. The situation was further irritated by the complete public
suppression of all religious communities in Albania, with only the most stalwart Orthodox believers
maintaining a clandestine liturgical life.

Bp. Mark and the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America reasserted their status as the lone canonical
Albanian Orthodox jurisdiction in the Americas. By October 1971, with the acceptance of Bp. Stephen and
the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America as a constituent diocese of the OCA, the canonical
controversy was ended.

Legacy

The Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America played a crucial role in the resurrection of the Albanian
Orthodox Church. In 1990, the Diocesan clergy and laity petitioned the ecumenical patriarch, Demetrios,
during his visit to North America, to prepare a plan for the restoration of the Albanian Orthodox Church. In
1991, the (then) protopresbyter Ilia Katre, who had served for many years as dean of students at Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, took up residence in Albania,
organized and opened the Resurrection of Christ Seminary with the blessing of the newly arrived
patriarchal exarch, Anastasios. Ilia also directed the enthronement of Anastasios as Archbishop of All
Albania in August 1992. Individuals and delegations from the diocese made major financial contributions to
the Albanian Orthodox Church as well as applied pressure on the government for the return of confiscated
property to the Church. In 2002 Bishop Ilia returned to lead the seminary for three years, during which he
expanded, strengthened, and lengthened the course to a full four-year programme.

The diocese has made outreach to new communities in Toronto, Montreal, Washington, and Baltimore.

Bishops
Mark (Lipa) (September 10, 1950 - March 11, 1982)
Ilia (Katre) (May 10, 2002 - October 7, 2022)
Theophan (Koja) (since July 25, 2023)

Sources
This article incorporates text from (http://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Albanian+Orthod
ox+Diocese+of+America&oldid=89694)Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America (http://orth
odoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Albanian+Orthodox+Diocese+of+America&oldid=89694) at
OrthodoxWiki (http://orthodoxwiki.org/) which is licensed under the CC-BY-SA and GFDL.

See also
Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
 Orthodox Church in America Albanian Archdiocese

References
1. "La Civiltà cattolica, Issues 3727-3732" (https://books.google.com/books?id=rS0TAQAAMA
AJ&q=visarion+xhuvani&pg=PA343), La Civiltà Cattolica: Pubblicazione Periodica per Tutta
l'Italia, IV (3730): 343, Nov 19, 2005, ISSN 0009-8167 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0009-8
167)
2. Tarasar, Constance J. (1975). Orthodox America, 1794-1976: development of the Orthodox
Church in America (https://books.google.com/books?id=-ftCAAAAIAAJ&q=kristaq+dishnica+
boston). Bavarian State Library. p. 309. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
3. "The 90th Anniversary Historical Trilogy by Denise Lymperis" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0110715224704/http://www.saintgeorgecathedral.com/history.html). Saint George Cathedral.
Archived from the original (http://www.saintgeorgecathedral.com/history.html) on 2011-07-
15. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
4. Frank S. Mead (1975). Handbook of Denominations in the United States (6 ed.). Abingdon
Press. pp. 120–121 (https://archive.org/details/handbookofdenomi00mead_2/page/120).
ISBN 0-687-16569-5.

External links
Albanian Orthodox Diocese (http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/otherpatriarchal/alb/index_h
tml) at the website of the GOA
Eastern Christian Churches: Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America (https://cnewa.org/easte
rn-christian-churches/toc/orthodox-church/churches-under-constantinople/albanian-diocese-
america-churches-under-constantinople/), by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest
and scholar
Albanian Orthodox Library (http://www.albanianorthodox.com)

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