Shtjefën Kurti
Albanian priest (1898–1971)
Feast: 5 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Shtjefën Kurti (24 December 1898 – 20 October 1971) was an Albanian Roman Catholic priest killed during a period of communist persecution. Kurti served as a priest during a volatile period for his nation in which communist repression enjoined state atheism and led to strict rules being imposed that prevented clerics from performing their duties. Kurti continued to serve as a priest when needed, which led to his arrest with the accusation that he was colluding with spies. Kurti was arrested for the final time when it had been alleged that he secretly baptized a child which was forbidden by the regime. He was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad.
Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), until this page is written up in full.
The miracles
Limited information is available on this saint so far.
Why that counted as sanctity
Limited information is available on this saint so far.
- Beatification of the Martyrs of Albania, Shkodër, 5 November 2016 — Albanian priest shot on 20 October 1971 for secretly baptising a child under the communist regime; 'Kurti was beatified alongside other Martyrs of Albania killed during the communist repression'. The Blessed Martyrs of A
- Wikidata Q3303576 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Shtjefën Kurti (CC BY-SA)
Not yet written up in full. The Catholic source above names this person; the name, dates and step come from Wikidata and are not yet checked against Church records.