The Diocese of Sapë (, ) is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, prov ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in Northern

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 ...

. It is a

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandr ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult. The diocese is named after the town of

Sapë Sapë () was a medieval fortress, located near the village of Nënshat, in the municipality of Vau i Dejës (belonging to Shkodër County, in modern Albania). It is attested since the 13th century, situated in the historical region of Zadrima. I ...

(Sappa), which is located near the Drin, southeast of Lake Scutari. However, the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of the diocese is Katedralja e Nënë Terezja, in the town of Vau-Dejës,

Shkodër County Shkodër County () is a county in northwestern Albania, with the capital in Shkodër. The county spans and had a total population of 154,479 people as of the 2023 census. The county borders on the counties of Lezhë, Kukës and the country of M ...

. The former cathedral is Kisha e Shën Gjergjit, in

Nënshat Nënshat is a settlement in the former Hajmel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipalit ...

in the same county. The diocese is one of six Catholic jurisdictions in Albania.Catholic Hierarchy: Current Dioceses in Albania
/ref> It is located in the vicinity of

Lake Scutari Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-Latn, Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero, )also called Lake Shkodra (and ''Lake Shkodër'')lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is n ...

, at the river basin of Drin.

Statistics and extent

, it pastorally served 70,701 Catholics (34.9% of 202,800 total) on 2,544 km² in 32 parishes with 19 priests (11 diocesan, 8 religious), 1 deacon, 60 lay religious (9 brothers, 51 sisters) and 2 seminarians. The ecclesiastical students of this diocese are educated at the seminary of Scutari. The Diocese of Sappa also includes the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

monastery at Troshan (Trosciani), where the

Minorites The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...

have a "Collegium seraphicum" for their students of philosophy.

History

The bishopric was established in 1062, by

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform mo ...

. During the 11th century, the diocese was located within Dioclea. In 1491

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

joined to it the Bishopric of Sardë (Sardoniki), and the united sees were

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

s of the

Archbishopric of Antivari The Archdiocese of Bar (; ; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Montenegro.

until the end of the eighteenth century. The See of Sardë comprised also the Diocese of Dagnum (Daynum, Dagno, Danj; Daynensis), founded as suffragan of Antivari during the second half of the fourteenth century and united with Sarda by

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...

in 1428. By the

Albanian Council Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

in 1703, the Bishop of Sappa obtained some parishes previously belonging to the Diocese of Pulati. * Lost territory on 1890.12.30 to

Territorial Abbacy of Shën Llezhri i Oroshit The Abbey of Orosh (also known as ''Mirditë Abbey'' or ''St. Alexander Oroshi'') was a territorial Benedictine abbey at Orosh in the region of Mirdita, Albania. It was destroyed during the communist era and now rebuilt, dedicated to the martyr ...

The exact number of bishops of Sappa is unknown. The first Bishop of Sappa mentioned is Peter in c. 1291. Notable bishops of Sappa include Gjergj Bardhi and Lazër Vladanji later became Archbishops of Bar.

Pjetër Zarishi Pjetër Zarishi or Dom Pjeter Xarishi (1806 in Blinisht, Zadrima – 1866 in Kallmet, Lezhë) was an Albanian Mirditë Catholic priest and poet who established a tradition of the 19th century Catholic literature in northern Albania. He is al ...

was a secretary to the Bishop of Sappa.

Episcopal ordinaries

;''Bishops of Sapë'' * Pietro = Peter I (11 June 1291 – ????) * Paolo = Paul (ca. 1370–1376?) * Benevenuli = Benvenuto (2 July 1376 – ????) * Peter II (

Pjetër Zakaria Pjetër or Për is an Albanian male given name, which is a cognate of Peter, derived ultimately from the Greek word ''petros'', meaning "stone" or "rock".''Behind the Name''"Given Name Pjetër" Retrieved on 22 January 2016. The name may refer to: * ...

) = Pietro Zaccaria (1395.05.04 – ) * Nicholas I (1414–????) * Michael (March 1422 – ????) * Peter III (1425–????) * Peter IV (1431–????) * Matthew (Mateo/Mateu Hermollaji) (1433–????) * George I (1440–1451) * Emmanuel (1460–????) * Unknown (1472–????) * Marinus I (Marin Suma) (1473–????) * Gabriel I (1479–????) * Blasius (1489–1490) * Prodokimi (January 1490 – 1500) * Peter V (Pjetër Stërbinja) (1501–1507) * Dominic (Domingo García) (5 July 1508 – ????) * Ambrosius (Ambrosius Montemini) (1512–????) * George III (1513–????) * Didak Fernandez (1514–????) * John I (Juan Buenaventura de Valderrama) (3 September 1518 – 1520) * Alphonse (Alfons Kavaçiri) (1521–????) * ''Diocese ceased to function for 50 years for unknown reasons'' * Theobald (Tossoli Blanco) (1582–????) * George IV (Gjergj Palma) (1583–????) * Nicholas II (

Nikollë Bardhi Nikollë Bardhi (1551–1617) was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He played a key role in the Albanian struggle against the Ottoman Empire. Nikollë Bardhi was born in region of Zadrima, Lezhë, modern northern Albania in 1551. ...

) (1594–????) * Simon I (Simon Gjeçi/Jeçi) (1620–1621) * Peter VI (

Pjetër Budi Pjetër Budi (1566 – December 1622), was an Albanian Catholic bishop and a prominent Old Albanian author. He is known for his first work ''"Doktrina e Kërshtenë"'' (The Christian Doctrine), an Albanian translation of the catechism of Rober ...

) (20 July 1621 – ????) * George IV ( Gjergj Bardhi) (1623–1635) * Francis ( Frang Bardhi) (1635–????) * George IV ( Gjergj Bardhi) (1644–1646) * Simon II ( Simeoni Suma) (1647–1670s) * Stephen ( Shtjefën Gaspari) (1675–????) * Martin (Martin Jelić) (1682–????) * George V ( Gjergj Teodori) (1685–1705) * Egidius (

Egidio Quinto Egidio Quinto () (2 April 1653 – 1 June 1722) served as an archbishop of Antivari in the early 18th century. Quinto was appointed Bishop of Sappa on 21 March 1707. He was later appointed as Archbishop of Antivari by Pope Clement XI Pope Cle ...

) (21 March 1707 – 8 February 1719) * Marinus II ( Marin Gjini) (1719–????) * John II ( Gjon Gallata) (1720–????) * Basil (Vasil Lindi) (1738–1744) * Lazarus I ( Lazër Vladanji) (1746–1749) * George ( Gjergj Vladanji) (1750–1765) * Nicholas III (25 August 1765 – 1791) * John III (Gjon Logoreci) (2 April 1791 – 21 December 1794) * Anthony (Anton/Ndoc Radovani) (1796–????) * Marcus (Mark Negri) (1808–????) * Alexander (Lekë Suma) (24 December 1825 – ????) * Lazarus I (Lazër Vladanji) (1827 – 15 February 1830) * Peter VII (Pjetër Borçi) (18 December 1829/13 February 1836) – ????) * George VII (Gjergj Labella) (1844 – ????) * Peter VIII (Pietro Severini) (26 November 1843/1 February 1845 – 7 November 1873) * Julius (Giulio Marsili) (December 1873 – 12 August 1890) * Lawrence (Lorenzo Petris de Dolammare) (5 August 1890 – 20 December 1892) * Gabriel II (Gabriel Nev(r)iani) (10 January 1893 – 28 March 1900) * Lazarus II (

Lazër Mjeda Lazër Mjeda (1869–1935) was an ethnic Albanian priest and prelate of the Catholic Church in Albania, and a member of the Mjeda family. Biography Lazër (Llazar) Mjeda was born in Shkodër, Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), als ...

) (10 November 1900 – 24 December 1904) * Jacob (Jak(ë) Serreqi) (7 August/29 October 1905 – 14 April/22 April 1910) * George VI (Gjergj Koleci) (21 September 1911 – 2 January 1928) ** Gaspar ( Gaspër Thaçi) (1928 – ca. 13 June 1928) – Apostolic Administrator * Joseph (Zef Gjonali) (13 June/25 July 1928 – 9 October/30 October 1935) * Nicholas IV (

Nikollë Vinçenc Prennushi Nikollë is an Albanian male given name, derived from the Greek language, Greek name Νικόλαος (''Nikolaos''). The definite form is Nikolla. Its hypocoristic are Niko and Kolë. Notable people bearing this name include: *Nikollë Mekajshi, ...

) (27 January/6 February 1936 – 26 June 1940) * George VIII (Gjergj Volaj) (25 May/26 June 1940 – February 1947/3 February 1948) * John IV (Gjon Kovaçi) (June 1950 – ????) ** Francis II ( Frano Illia) (25 April 1993 – 1997) – Apostolic Administrator ** Angel (Angelo Massafra) (1997 – ca. 2000) – Apostolic Administrator **

Dodë Gjergji Dodë Gjergji (born 16 January 1963) is a Kosovo, Kosovan prelate of the Catholic Church. Since 2006, he serves as Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Administration of Prizren, Prizren. In 2018, when the apostolic administration was elevated t ...

(6 January 2000 – 12 December 2006) – Apostolic Administrator * Lucian (

Lucjan Avgustini Lucjan Avgustini (28 August 1963 – 22 May 2016) was an Albanian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Sapë, Sapë. Avgustini was born in Ferizaj, SFR Yugoslavia. From 1989 to 2006 he was a priest o ...

) (12 December 2006 – 22 May 2016) *

Bishop-elect A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

Simon Kulli Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

(2017.06.15 – ...)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sape, Roman Catholic Diocese Roman Catholic dioceses in Albania Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Shkodër-Pult 1062 establishments in Europe Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 11th century

Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipality in Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bushat, Hajmel, Shllak, Temal, Vau i Dej ...

Statistics and extent

History

Episcopal ordinaries

See also

References