Our Community of Contemplative Life “San José,” which belongs to the Institute “Servants of the Lord and of the Virgin of Matara” of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word, has been present in Albania since 2019. We are located in the town of Fushe Kruje, 20 km from the capital, Tirana. Currently, 10 sisters of various nationalities (Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, the USA, and Albania) live here.
An important aspect of our contemplative life is hospitality, which, thanks to God, we can practice since we have a small house of prayer and volunteering. This house hosts young people each year who wish to volunteer in our houses of mercy present in the mission (we have a home for women with disabilities and a home for children) or to help with whatever is needed in our monastery. Additionally, spiritual exercises for laypeople are conducted there, along with formation and prayer meetings with local youth. We also host family and friends who are visiting or pilgrims seeking accommodation.
It is essential to make some modifications within the establishment, as well as maintenance and repair of the walls, which have been damaged by the humidity in the area.
The renovation project consists of:
- Complete replacement of the house's roof due to leaks and lack of insulation.
- The floor is not in optimal condition for use due to damage caused by the 2019 earthquake, so it is recommended to replace and upgrade the entire floor of the house.
- Subdivision of the house to include two large rooms with bathrooms, a small kitchen, and a multipurpose room.
- Reinforcement of the walls and access for people with mobility disabilities.
- Installing bars on the windows to provide greater security for our visitors.
We invite you to collaborate with this initiative by contributing whatever you can, your little grain of sand, so that our house of prayer and volunteering can better welcome those who seek to encounter God through prayer and works of mercy with the most vulnerable and the smallest.
Thank you in advance for whatever you can do, and know that you are in our prayers!
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Verónica Guillot
Unidos en Cristo Jesus