OXFORD, England (CNS): The government of the predominantly Muslim Kosovo has approved plans for a cathedral dedicated to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Bishop Dode Gjergji of Sape, Albania, who is the apostolic administrator of Prizren, Kosovo, said that all the documents were being finalised and the work will start this year.
Bishop Gjergji said the cathedral’s architectural design includes a Catholic cultural and educational centre in Pristina.
Bishop Gjergji said donations for the cathedral were being collected throughout Kosovo.
“We’ll be appealing to Catholic organisations worldwide for support, although most funding will come from local people,” said the bishop.
“Her parents were Albanians from Kosovo, so the building of a cathedral dedicated to her is the desire of our whole nation, Muslims included.”
Catholics make up only 3 per cent of the 2.1 million inhabitants of Kosovo.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, in present day Macedonia.