The Abbey of Orosh (also known as ''Mirditë Abbey'' or ''St. Alexander Oroshi'') was a

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

abbey at

Orosh Orosh (or ) is a small village in Mirditë within the county of Lezhë County, Lezhë in the northwest of the Republic of Albania. Geographically, it is located inside the mountainous region of northern Albania in the Fan (river), Valley of Fan. ...

in the region of

Mirdita Mirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name. Etymology The name Mirdita derives from a legendary ancestor named Mir Diti from whom the tribe claims descent. Other ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. It was destroyed during the communist era and now rebuilt, dedicated to the martyr St. Alexander.

History

By papal decree of 25 October 1888, this abbey with its two affiliated parishes, together with five other parishes in the Diocese of Lezhë (''Alessio'') were removed from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Lezhë. In 1890 three parishes from the

Diocese of Sapë In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

were added to the territorial Abbey of Orosh, and, in 1894, five more parishes from

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian const ...

were added. In the early 20th century, Catholics numbered 16,550 in Albania, being under the care of secular and regular clergy. The abbot was chosen from among the secular clergy. The abbot, Mgr. Primus Docchi, who resided at Orosh was born at Bulgëri, 7 February 1846, and studied at the Propaganda College in Rome. The Franciscans had a parish and a hospital at Gomsiqe. File:Steinmetz_orosh.jpg, The church of Orosh in 1903 File:Ad144.jpg, Processional cross at the Church of St Alexander in Orosh, Mirdita (1890s) File:Nopcsa 273.jpg, Interior of the Church of Saint Alexander of Orosh (1905) File:Orosh Church, Mirditë, Albania 2018-04 10.jpg, Madonna mosaic in the portico of Orosh Church (2018) File:Orosh Church, Mirditë, Albania 2018-04 08.jpg, Sculpture of

Preng Doçi Preng Doçi (1846–1917), it, Primus Docci, was and Albanian political and religious figure and poet. He was a main contributor in the Albanian ''Bashkimi'' Alphabet. Life Preng Doçi was born in Paraspor neighborhood of Bulgër, a village ne ...

in the portico of Orosh Church (2018)

Source and External links

* {{coord, 41.8618, 20.0715, display=title Territorial abbeys Benedictine monasteries in Albania Christian monasteries in Albania Demolished buildings and structures in Albania Buildings and structures in Mirditë