Saint Parashquevia's Day in Kamenica/ Templars from Italy come especially for this day

2025-07-26 14:48:00, Aktualitet CNA

Saint Parashquevia's Day in Kamenica/ Templars from Italy come especially

In the centuries-old church of Saint Paraskevië in Kamenica, a holy mass was celebrated by Father Ilia Kotnani, in honor of the great saint of the Orthodox faith. This symbolic ceremony was accompanied by the special participation of a group of Templars from Italy, coming from various cities such as Padua and Venice.

On this significant day, 11 members of the "Society of Lay Believers" expressed their desire to create a Templar commandery in Kamenica, as a way to strengthen spiritual and cultural ties between Albania and Italy.

According to them, the Templars have historically protected holy places and have returned today to contribute to the preservation of heritage and common faith.

Lorenzo Cechinato (pronounced Çekinato), one of the company's advisors, shared with Cna TV the special emotions he is experiencing in the village of Kamenica.

"We are Christians, we come from Italy, from different places like Padua, Venice. We have Albanian brothers who live here in Kamenica. We want to create a commandery in Kamenica to represent the rites of the Templars. Albania has had Templars in the past, who have protected pilgrims and holy places. Today we come to holy places to protect churches. It is our brothers who live in Kamenica, who have helped restore the "Saint Mary" church that we visited a little while ago. One of our goals is to continue strengthening the friendship that exists between Albania and Italy. We want to bring peace and our different cultures to unite the two peoples. Among other things, to show that we can manage to coexist. We will be witnesses of the Christian faith."

In his message, Father Ilia Kotnani underlined the importance of preserving spiritual and cultural treasures, recalling the 500-year-old history of the church that dates back to the time of Skanderbeg. He highlighted the damage it has suffered over the years, especially during the communist regime, but also the current efforts for its revival and appreciation.

"This is a special place because according to the Orthodox tradition, we must identify all those assets and dwellings, not only spiritual but also physical, so that they can be turned into identity. Let us better know the history, the past of our ancestors, the sacrifices they made to build these objects as an appreciation made to God. This church has a rare history because it is a 450-500 year old church, coinciding with the time of Skanderbeg. All foreign invasions took their toll, but the most savage was the communist evasion, which destroyed, denigrated, and a good part of the objects cannot even be found, even the foundations. Alongside the monastery and the other church in Kamenica, this church is also flourishing, which is small in size but very great in value. Today we have come to pray and to be forgiven."

The Church of Saint Paraskevië, although small in size, carries great historical and spiritual value. This day became a symbol of unity between traditions, cultures and the resilience of faith in the face of difficult times./ CNA