THE CULTURAL PARADIGM OF A MISSION

NGA GONXHE BOJAXHIU DERI TE NËNË TEREZA FROM GONXHE BOJAXHIU TO MOTHER THERESA

Review:

The newest book "From Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to Mother Teresa - A saga about the life of Albanian Catholics from Skopje" that is coming into the hands of readers is the next publication of the Institute for Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians in Skopje, but at the same time the initiating project of the Department of Gonxhe Bojaxhiu - Mother Teresa. This Department is established as a platform of scientific and research ideas on the thematic and problematic corpus of archival and documentary elaboration of the life, deeds and dimensions of humanism of Mother Teresa.

Adhering to this research methodology, the book refreshes the reader's memory with the chronology of events and developments that were an integral part of the formation of a cultural and spiritual consciousness in late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Skopje. However, in order to establish diachronic communication with this important period of time, the presence and spirit of this consciousness had to be documented.In the same spirit was born the idea to prepare the first book for "Albanian Catholic Families in Skopje", a work that managed to brand ISCHA as one of the most qualified institutions to decipher the past under the prism of objectivity and impartiality, by maintaining intact the authenticity and documentary of the physical and spiritual presence of Albanian Catholic families in Skopje here and a century ago.

The central figure of this book is Mother Teresa, but ISCHA’s researchers have taken care to place the weight of historical and current importance of this figure in the social, cultural and religious context, where she was developed as a personality - from her childhood until she closed her eyes for the last time. For this purpose, within the ISCHA is established the first Department in the world, that deals with the family and cultural heritage of Gonxhe Bojaxhiu - Mother Teresa, whereas the book we have in hands brings back some professional perspectives on the importance and vision of this Department.

The timing of the opening of this Department was shown to justify and to learn some more about where to visit during the month of April or May, and which is directly related to the restoration of the dignity of the figure of Mother Teresa in the main Skopje Square. All these events triggered the leader of ISCHA, specifically the director - Dr. Skender Asani, to successfully crown the cultural battle for the protection of material and spiritual values of the major figure of Mother Teresa. The fruit of this battle, which is being crowned exactly on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Gonxhe-Bojaxhiu-Mother Teresa, is the placement of the memorial plaque in the location of the hometown of this noble figure with planetary fame.

Perhaps, this is also the cultural paradigm of a mission that is being built in order to provide services for more light on the expectation surface.

Emin AZEMI

Skopje, july 2020