Pjetër Meshkalla High School (''Shkolla e Mesme Pjetër Meshkalla'') is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

secondary school located in Shkodra,

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. Founded in 1877 by

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

s from

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, the school is named for the Jesuit Peter Meshkalla, martyr of the Communist era. ''Shkodër Jesuit College'' was a Jesuit college in

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...

, in northwestern Albania. The college has traditionally been an important centre of scholarly study into Albanian literature and language.

History

The beginning of the Jesuit presence in Albania was in 1841 with some Jesuits from Sicily, while Albania was still under the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and lacked the boundaries it has today. Evangelism remained problematic but in 1854 the Office of the Vatican Missionary Bishops and Albanians opened a seminary in Shkodra for the southern

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, entrusted to the Italian Jesuits. The college was started in 1877, as a Xavier college (). Jesuitenkolleg in Shkodra

In 1877 the Jesuits opened

Saverian College, first as a trade school and then as a classic

liceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...

after the 1912 declaration of Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire. This was accompanied by itinerant missionary work, alongside cultural, religious, artistic, musical, and theatrical groups, and publication of the magazine ''Immaculate Conception''. In 1944 the

communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

came to power. Repression and persecution of Catholics followed. Among the 40 deemed martyrs in Albania during this period were Fr. Daniel Dajan, Rector of the College and Saverian Seminary. and Brother John Pantalia who ran the publishing house. The distinguished poet

Ndre Mjeda Ndre Mjeda (20 November 18661 August 1937) was an Albanian philologist, poet, priest, rilindas, translator and writer of the Albanian Renaissance. He was a member of the Mjeda family. He was influenced by the Jesuit writer Anton Xanoni and ...

taught at the Jesuit college from 1930.Shkoder.net
Only in 1990 did a new regime lead to the return of the Jesuits. In February 1992 they opened in the Shkodra Archbishopric a minor seminary. In 1994 they regained the property of the former Saverian College. A technical school and high school, recognized by the State, emerged. A seminary for all Albania, including philosophy and theology, opened in 1998 with help from

Renovabis Renovabis is a charitable organization of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, established in 1993 to help people in Eastern and Central Europe. Its main office is located in Freising, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of ...

and the Italian Jesuits. Middle School "Pjetër Meshkalla" replaced the earlier Xaverian College, and has since 1998 grown into a secondary school accommodating 500 students (60% girls) in 18 classes. Their religious background is Christian (75% – mostly Catholics, some Orthodox) and

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

(25%). About 25% are village children. In 2000 the seminary split off from the middle school. On 29 June 2000 the first priests trained locally were ordained since the communist period. The School of Higher Studies of Philosophy and Theology is a promoter of the Albanian language and of dialogue with the Orthodox Church and with

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. College emblem: the two-headed eagle face, above: For God, For atme, and Progress.

Notable alumni

Luigj Bumçi Luigj Bumçi (7 November 1872 – 1 March 1945) was an Albanian Catholic religious and political figure. Life Dom Luigj Bumçi was born in Shkodër, back then in the Scutari Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire, on 7 November 1872 in an Albanian Ca ...

, head of the Albanian delegation at the

Paris Peace Conference Agreements and declarations resulting from meetings in Paris include: Listed by name Paris Accords may refer to: * Paris Accords, the agreements reached at the end of the London and Paris Conferences in 1954 concerning the post-war status of Germ ...

, regent of Albania *

Luigj Gurakuqi Luigj Gurakuqi (19 February 1879 – 2 March 1925), also called Louis Gurakuchi, was an Albanians, Albanian writer and politician. He was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and was honored with the People's Hero of Albania ...

, writer, journalist, politician *

Ernest Koliqi Ernest Koliqi (20 May 190315 January 1975) was an Albanian journalist, pro-Axis politician, translator, teacher and writer. Biography Born to a Catholic Albanian family in Shkodra, where he also attended his first lessons at the local Je ...

, writer and publicist *

Faik Konitza Faik Bey Konica (later named Faïk Dominik Konitza, 15 March 1875 – 15 December 1942) was an important figure in Albanian language and culture in the early decades of the twentieth century. As the Albanian minister to Washington, D.C., his lit ...

, publicist and politician *

Zef Mala Zef Mala (Shkodër, April 14, 1915 – Tirana, December 31, 1979) was an Albanian publicist and early communist. He was the leader of the Communist Group of Shkodër. Life Mala was born in the "Skënderbeg" neighborhood of Shkodër, the son of ...

, communist *

Hilë Mosi Hil Mosi (1885 - 1933) was an Albanian politician and poet. Biography Hil Mosi, son of Mark Mosi, was born in Shkodër, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1885. He attended an Italian elementary school and later the Xavierian Shkodër Jesu ...

, poet and politician *

Qemal Stafa Qemal Stafa (20 March 1920 – 5 May 1942) was an Albanian politician and one of the founding members of the Albanian Communist Party, and the leader of its youth section. Biography Stafa was born in Elbasan in 1920, into a Gheg Albanian fami ...

, communist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shkoder Jesuit College Jesuit schools in Albania Educational institutions established in 1877 Secondary schools in Albania Buildings and structures in Shkodër 1877 establishments in the Ottoman Empire

History

Notable alumni

See also

References