The Albanian Autocephaly Church celebrated its Centenary

In 1908, the Albanian politician and translator Fan Noli founded the Albanian Autocephaly Orthodox Church in the United States of America. Theofan (Fan) Stlian Noli (January 6, 1882 – March 13, 1965) was an Albanian bishop and politician who served briefly as Prime Minister and Regent of Albania in 1924. Noli’s Church ranks alongside sister institutions in the Western countries.
Last week, at the St. George Church in Boston, before the gathering and the Orthodox clergy from Albania as well, there were special ceremonies in the context of the Centenary of the first liturgy of the orthodox Faith in the Albanian language, an event that coincided with the Centenary of the surrender of Fan Noli as a priest and Arch Bishop of the Autocephaly Church of the Albanians of America.
The beginning of the 20th Century and through half of it could be described as one of the most dynamic periods of Albanian history, especially of the Albanians of America. One of the most remarkable figures of this period in time is Fan Noli. He was an actor, teacher, translator, poet, writer, Parliamentarian, politician, Statesman, musicologist, historian, theologist, and above all, he was a patriot.
Fan Noli arrived in the United States in 1906. He created the patriotic association called “Besa-Bes뢠(Word pledged), in January 1907. In February of 1909, he launched the publication of the newspaper, “Dielli” (The Sun) and in 1908, after a lot of exhausting toing and froing from Boston to New York to secure support. Noli found the time and strength to found the Autocephaly Orthodox Church, perhaps the most important of his creations as far as the Albanian National Cause is concerned. In 1908, this individual of slight build, but with an outstanding thirst for knowledge and an amazing willpower enrolled at Harvard University, which he graduated from four years later in 1912. In April of the same year, Albanians, Christian and Moslem gathered together to create “Vater,” (The Hearth), the pan-American Federation of America. Following a period full of stormy events in political creativity, in 1938 Fan Noli was awarded a diploma by the New England Conservatory. Seven years later, in 1945, he was awarded the title, “Professor Doctor of Historical Sciences,” by the University of Boston, while in 1947, the English version of “The History of Scenderbeg” came off the press, perhaps the monograph the most frequently quoted by local and foreign researchers since the work by Barleti on the Albanian National Hero. Fan Noli is quoted by literary critics as the most notable translator into the Albanian language of all times. Fan Noli’s translations into Albanian of the works of Shakespaere, but also of “Rubaiyat” by Omar Khayyam have been described “not as translations, but as astonishing re-creations.”