Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa

Interior Mother Teresa

In 2005, the foundation stone was ceremonially laid by former president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, himself a Muslim.[1][2][3] Construction began in 2007.[2] The unfinished cathedral was inaugurated on 5 September 2010, the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa in 1997, as part of events commemorating the hundredth anniversary of her birth.[4][5][6] The cathedral was formally consecrated seven years later on 5 September 2017, 20 years after Mother Teresa's death.[7][2]

The cathedral's construction sparked some controversy in Muslim circles where it was seen as outsized considering the small number of Catholics in the area.[8][9] Upon the cathedral's completion, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prizren-Pristina moved from Prizren to Pristina.[3] The cathedral is one of Pristina's tallest buildings.[10]

Bell tower

An exhibition celebrating the shared history of Albanians and Austria was held in the cathedral in January 2015. It was attended by the president of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.[11]

In Kosovo, some of the biggest Christmas masses occur at the cathedral, and local Muslims join their fellow Catholic citizens in solidarity as part of the congregation and to celebrate the holiday season.[12]

^ Thaçi, Hashim. President Sejdiu's speech at the Mother Theresa Cathedral Inauguration Ceremony (Speech). Retrieved 2019-11-02. ^ a b c Mihailova, Iva (1 September 2017). "The new cathedral of Pristine dedicated to Mother Teresa. A sign of hope amidst difficulties". agensir.it. Retrieved 2019-09-25. ^ a b "New Cathedral Symbolises Catholic Rebirth in Kosovo". BIRN Kosovo. 6 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. ^ Çollaku, Petrit (7 September 2010). "Pristina Inaugurates Cathedral for Mother Teresa". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2019-09-25. ^ Qena, Nebi (5 September 2010). "Kosovo: Thousands gather for cathedral's opening". nbcnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2019-09-25. ^ "Kosovo: Neue Mutter-Teresa-Kirche eingeweiht". DiePresse.com (in German). 6 September 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2015. ^ Kryeziu, Visar (5 September 2017). "Kosovo devotes cathedral to St. Teresa 20 years after death". Associated Press. Retrieved 2019-09-25. ^ Erebara, Gjergj (4 October 2010). "Kosovo's New Cathedral Stirs Muslim Resentment". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2019-09-25. ^ Çollaku, Petrit (26 May 2011). "Kosovo Muslims Resent New Mother Teresa Statue". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 5 September 2016. ^ In Pristina's old Ottoman mosque, Muslims gather for prayers[permanent dead link] ^ Kryeziu, Visar (19 January 2015). "Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga, right, joined by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, ..." Yahoo News. AP News. Retrieved 22 March 2015. ^ O'Connor, Coilin (2 January 2021). "Keeping The Flame Alive: Christmas In The Balkans". RFERL. Retrieved 10 January 2021.