A testimony of Fr. Zef Bisha.

“My vocation? I owe it to my parents. Every day we secretly said a prayer to ask Jesus for forgiveness before going to sleep. Secretly” he stresses. "We were prohibited to pray under the communist regime." This is what Fr. Zef Bisha SJ, coordinator for Albania, said about his journey to freedom. "After the collapse of the regime, I too, like many others, went to help rebuild our little church dedicated to St. Nicholas, one stone upon another. It was so significant for me giving shape to a place that had become a landfill. Building this church has meant for me stones that have marked my life”.

Then I came in touch with the nuns and the priest who came to celebrate the liturgical functions in the newly built chapel. “I started helping them as they went around the villages serving the people. In 1994 I entered the seminary; I continued to help as an interpreter and wherever needed. But I felt that something was missing. I was unable to express it, but I was not completely happy. It was Ray Pace SJ, my spiritual father, who helped me understand what was going on inside me. That summer I was invited to take part in an experience with the "Project for Hope" group led by Fr. Massimo Nevola SJ. A few days were enough to understand that something about him was different, his way of being and the way he worked. I felt welcomed, I fully savoured the spirit of service and friendship of the group. This is why I asked to enter the Society of Jesus. I went through a time of discernment to become aware of my desires, to become familiar with the Society, to get to know myself and finally to put everything in the hands of God. Building the Church today means a continuous conversion. In Albania, different religious beliefs are present. The stones are no longer what they once used to be. The fluidity that has infiltrated our country leads us to forget who we really are. Often one gets the feeling of sowing in vain. Let us never give up! Let us form tomorrow’s generation for freedom ”.