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, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbey at

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

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 a ...

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

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. It is one of Albania's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously i ...

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, 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), , was an Albanians, 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 near Lezha ...

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