Work starts on new Kosovo cathedral dedicated to Mother Teresa

Published: 2007-09-13

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- Work has started on a new cathedral in Kosovo dedicated to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. "This is a good project, and it has our government's full backing," said Xhavit Beqiri, spokesman for the Kosovo presidency. "Mother Teresa is a great authority worldwide and a positive symbol for Kosovo. So I think the cathedral will have support from everyone living here." A groundbreaking ceremony in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, was held Sept. 5 at the 32-acre site, which will also include a Catholic cultural and educational center. Two days after a 2005 groundbreaking ceremony, the site was damaged by a grenade explosion. Bishop Dode Gjergji of Sape, Albania, who is the apostolic administrator of Prizren, Kosovo, said donations for the cathedral were being collected throughout Kosovo, which forms part of Serbia and has been under U.N. administration since 1999. Catholics make up only 3 percent of the 2.1 million inhabitants of Kosovo.

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