Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj said that this is great news long-awaited by all Albanians.

“We have been dreaming for a long time to place a statue of the Saint Mother Teresa in Tirana. I don’t think there could be a better moment  to deliver on that 30 years after Albania established relations with the Vatican and 25 years after Saint Teresa passed away, the small, shy and quiet woman with the biggest heart and great work, to celebrate her all these. Today we begin the journey towards the construction of the Saint Teresa statue on the hills of the Artificial Lake, in the area known as “Lapidari”, so it is really a great blessing for our city,” Mayor Veliaj said.

Tirana Mayor noted that Tirana needs a space where the citizens can relax and find a moment of peace and reflection.

“A site pilgrimage, religion and reflection would be best suitable to our Tirana,” he added.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tirana-Durra, Monsignor Arjan Dodaj thanked the head of the Municipality of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, for the good news on this special day for all Albanians.

“I am very grateful to God for this inspiration, and precisely I thank the Mayor Erion, and Mr. Prime Minister, because in reality this idea has also found the blessing and cooperation of the Albanian government and the Holy See. Mother Teresa unites us all. So I think that the statue will be a site of unity for everyone,” he said.

/k.s/j.p/u.sh/