The history of the Society of Jesus in Albania bears witness to extraordinary courage and fidelity during one of Europe’s most repressive communist regimes. In 2026, Albanian Jesuits and the wider Church commemorate the 50th anniversary of the imprisonment of Br Gaspër Jubani SJ, who endured torture, forced labour and decades of persecution while remaining faithful to his vocation and to Christ. His story forms part of the broader history of Jesuits who suffered imprisonment and persecution in Albania, and whose witness remains an important part of the memory and spiritual heritage of the Society of Jesus in Europe. This article was originally published by Jezuici.PL and is shared here to mark this anniversary and to remember the courage of those who remained faithful in the face of persecution.

On 16 September 2026, Jesuits serving in Albania commemorated the 50th anniversary of the imprisonment of Br Gaspër Jubani SJ (born in 1920). During his imprisonment, he endured brutal interrogation and torture. In April 1977, at the age of 57, he was sentenced to 25 years of hard labour on charges of “treason against the homeland and agitation and propaganda against the people’s power”. Despite the harsh conditions in the labour camps, he remained steadfast and, shortly before the final collapse of the regime, regained his freedom. He died a short time later, in 1992.

A solemn Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Shkodër to commemorate the life and witness of this courageous Jesuit, whose story is less well known than those of the Jesuits who were killed during the first years after the Second World War.

Among them were Fr Giovanni Fausti SJ and Fr Daniel Dajani SJ, who were executed, while Br Gjon Pantalija SJ died in prison as a result of torture. Like Br Gaspër, several other Jesuits endured decades in Albanian prisons and labour camps, including Fr Pjetër Meshkalla, Fr Mark Harapi, Fr Gjon Karma, Fr Anton Saraçi, Fr Giacomo Gardin, Fr Anton Luli and Fr Gjergj Vata. Despite the cruelty they experienced, they remained faithful to Christ.

The poster inviting people to the commemorative Mass carried a message that captures the meaning of their witness:

“Truth cannot be imprisoned, faith does not go out, and the testimony of the martyrs lives forever. He remained faithful to Christ until the end.”

The remembrance of Br Gaspër Jubani and his fellow Jesuits is therefore not only a look back at a painful chapter in Albania’s history. It is also an invitation to remember the power of faithfulness, courage and hope in the face of persecution—and the enduring witness of those who refused to abandon their vocation even in the most difficult circumstances.