Albania: In Athens and Corfu to meet with the Albanian Catholic community

From 3 to 13 February 2026, Father Agustin Margjoni CM, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Albania, together with Father Dario Rossetti, went for a visit-mission to Athens and the island of Corfu to meet with Albanian Catholic families.

The exodus of Albanians to Greece, which intensified after the fall of communism in 1991, was a massive migratory phenomenon dictated by economic reasons, which transformed Greece into one of the main destinations. That community has endured much suffering and many challenges. The latest statistics from the Greek government show that there are between 500,000 and 600,000 Albanians legally registered in Greece, in addition to those who are not registered. There are at least 50,000 to 60,000 Catholics across the country. The local Church in Greece has not always been able to assist this community, as it has neither churches nor priests to assist them, especially in suburban areas. In the 1990s, the Capuchin Fathers welcomed Albanians into their church in the centre of Athens, in Plateia Victoria. Over the years, the Albanian Church has tried to respond to these needs with the limited resources available.

In recent times, Albanian Catholics have felt the presence of the Albanian Church through missions and weekend visits by priests. Among the most present are the Sisters of Mother Teresa and the Vincentian missionaries.

The Albanian direction of the PMS is working hard in this direction. This first visit was in fact aimed at organizing a more structured mission in the coming months.

Father Agustin says: “I was deeply impressed by the joy and desire that these communities have for the Word of God and for the presence of Albanian priests.”

The days were spent visiting the sick, celebrating Holy Mass in Albanian, and hearing confessions. But it was the encounters with the people that were the pillars of this mission. The Archbishop of Athens, Monsignor Theodoros Kontidis, S.I., who warmly welcomed the two priests, expressing his enthusiasm and encouraging a prolonged mission. The Archbishop of Corfu, Georgios Altouvas, gave them the same warm welcome. During those days, Mass was celebrated in Albanian for the first time in Corfu. Accompanied by the sisters and two lay people, Marjan Rroku and Ded Marku, the two missionaries visited about fifty families.