A guide for church groups from America who want to follow the life of Mother Teresa, from the airport that bears her name in Tirana to the memorial house in Skopje.
As an Albanian, I have heard the name Mother Teresa since I was a child. But I only really understood how much she means to the world when I started hosting groups from abroad. Many Americans know her from Calcutta and are surprised to learn that she was Albanian, and that her story begins here, in the Balkans. I wrote this article for church groups who want to follow this story closely. I will show you the places worth seeing, and how we make sure that the road is quiet, so that you only think about why you came.
Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, into an Albanian Catholic family. At the age of 18, she left home to become a nun. When she was separated from her mother, neither of them knew that they would never see each other again.
Later, her mother and sister settled in Tirana. When the communist regime closed Albania, Mother Teresa asked for permission to come and see them, but was refused. Her mother died in Tirana without ever seeing her daughter again, and a few years later her sister also died.
Perhaps this is the part of her story that touches me the most as an Albanian. A woman who sat next to the poor and sick all over the world, could not sit next to her mother in her own country.
She only came to Albania in 1989 and laid flowers on their graves. After the fall of communism, nuns from her order, the Missionaries of Charity, opened houses here and still work in Albania. In 2016, Pope Francis declared her a saint.
By blood I am Albanian. By nationality, Indian. By faith, a Catholic nun. As far as my calling is concerned, I belong to the world. As far as my heart is concerned, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.
Mother Teresa
Your journey begins at the airport, because Tirana International Airport is named after her. We host groups there often, and I admit that her name above the entrance still makes me pause for a moment.
In the city center, the large square in front of the University of Tirana bears her name. A little further away, the Catholic Cathedral of St. Paul, built after the fall of communism, has a stained glass window with the image of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. If your group wants to attend mass, we build the day around her schedule.
If you have an extra day, please don't miss Shkodra. It is the historical heart of Albanian Catholicism, about 1 hour and 45 minutes north of Tirana.
The Cathedral of St. Stephen was turned into a sports palace during communism, when religion was banned by law. Today it is a church again. In 2016, 38 Catholic martyrs of that time were beatified in Shkodra. For groups coming from a country where religion is free, this history often weighs more than any monument.
In Skopje, the Mother Teresa Memorial House is located in the city center, on the site of the church where she was baptized. Inside are personal belongings, photographs, and a small chapel where you can stand in silence. Next to it, a plaque marks the site of the house where she was born.
If the road passes through Kosovo, it is worth stopping in Letnica, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Letnica. Gonxha went there on pilgrimage as a young girl, and according to her biographers, it was there that she felt the call to become a nun. It is a quiet place, far from the noise of the cities, and for me one of the most beautiful stops on the entire route.
I have worked with many types of groups, and church groups have something special: rhythm. There is mass in the morning, there are moments of prayer, there is silence in the minibus after a visit that has touched everyone. Often there are also older members who need a little more time and a hand on the steps of the minibus. We do not build your program around transportation. We build transportation around your program.
Check the mass and visitation schedules before you leave, especially on Sundays and religious holidays. Send them to us and we will build your day around them.
American citizens enter Albania without a visa, where they can stay for up to one year, and in Kosovo and North Macedonia, for up to 90 days. A valid passport is sufficient.
From Tirana to Skopje it is about 5 hours by road, non-stop. You can go from Ohrid, with one border to cross, or from Kosovo, with two borders and the possibility of a stop in Letnica. At the border, the police check the passports of all passengers, so have them ready before you arrive. In summer and on weekends the wait can be longer, and we calculate this time into the program.
Find out more about transportation outside Albania at minibus with driver in North Macedonia AND minibus with driver in Kosovo.
If you are planning this trip, write to me. It would be an honor for us to accompany you on this journey.
About 5 hours non-stop, both from Ohrid and Kosovo. In summer and on weekends, also factor in waiting time at the border.
No. American citizens enter Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia without a visa. A valid passport is sufficient.
In the center of Skopje, on the site of the church where Mother Teresa was baptized. Next to it, a plaque marks the site of the house where she was born.
Yes. Send us the Mass and Visitation schedules you want, and we build each day's transportation around them.
For groups of up to 18 people we use a minibus with a driver. For larger groups, a bus with a professional driver.
Minibus and bus with driver for pilgrimages in Albania and the Balkans. We respond 24/7.
Leonard works every day with groups of travelers from all over the world visiting Albania and the Balkans. On the Minibus.al blog, he shares practical tips on transportation, routes and destinations, so that your trip is safe and stress-free.
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