The First Cathedral for Mother Teresa is Consecrated in Kosovo

Tens of Thousands Come for Ceremony

1997 was the year in which we lost Mother Teresa. Both Christians and Muslims came together on the 20th anniversary of her death to consecrate a cathedral dedicated to her. The occasion also falls on her one year anniversary after being canonized by the Roman Catholic Church and being named Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The cathedral has been a place of worship since 2010 but was formally dedicated to Mother Teresa at the consecration ceremony. The St. Teresa Cathedral which is located in Pristina, is the only cathedral dedicated to the Albanian saint.
The first cathedral for Mother Teresa is consecrated in Kosovo[/tweetthis]

St. Teresa’s history is well documented as she spent most of her adult life helping Christians and children alike in the slums of India. Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, a few days after her 86th birthday.

Even though The Holy See does not currently view Kosovo as a sovereign state, Pope Francis appointed Rev. Ernest Troshani Simoni to lead the ceremony as his special emissary.

The ceremony lasted less than three hours. Different clergy representatives from the region helped conduct the holy Mass which was part of the consecration ceremony. Rev. Ernest Troshani Simoni and the clergy representatives blessed different areas of St. Teresa cathedral with oil.

There are around 56,000 Catholics in Kosovo, out of a population of approximately two million. Most Kosovars are ethnic Albanians, like Mother Teresa.

A large percent of the population is Muslim. Kosovo’s President and religious leaders from Kosovo and Albania were among the hundreds of people in Pristina who attended a consecration ceremony on Tuesday for the landmark, now named St. Teresa Cathedral.

Kosovo’s Muslim president gave a speech after the ceremony was concluded.
Kosovo has approximately 39 churches and 22 parishes and one cathedral. It is important to note that this is the only one dedicated to the saint in the world.

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