Our new mission in Albania began in September, 1993, and has grown very quickly. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Its economy was wrecked by the former Communist government. One of the first things that you notice in Albania is the bunkers! The former government, which was paranoic about its enemies, built 700,000 of them! They dot the countryside looking like little mushrooms with a small opening for a gun placement. In fact, they were never well staffed and were never used. The government continually warned the people of the danger of enemy invasions. In reality, nobody was thinking of invading Albania. The government was also explicitly atheistic. After 1966, baptizing someone was a crime subject to capital punishment. Consequently very few younger people have been baptized. Our missionaries, upon arriving, took over an abandoned hotel. Little by little they transformed it into a parish center with a large chapel, classrooms, and offices for various parish groups. When I visited this center, a huge number of people came to participate at Mass. Almost none of the young people present had been baptized. The priests have begun a well-attended catechetical program to prepare these young people for the sacraments. I was struck by how many people have quickly returned to the Church even after 50 years of religious persecution!

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A Call for You
In the past, the Association has helped American missionaries in Taiwan or Kenya and other worldwide missions of the Vincentians. If you would like to make a donation to help the foreign missions continue their good work, you can do so by contacting the Association.

It is an opportunity for you to answer Christ's call to "make disciples of all nations." Jesus said to his disciples, "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8) Vincentian missionaries bring the faith to the remotest and poorest places of the earth. And you can help them.