page_title: Orthodox Church of Albania
section_title: New and reconstructed churches
hierarchical_section_title: Orthodox Church of Albania / Revival of the Church / New and reconstructed churches
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Durrës (Albanie) - Eglise de l'Apôtre Paul et de Saint Asti
context_page_description: The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, also known as the Orthodox Church of Albania or the Albanian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autocephaly in 1922 through its Congress of 1922, and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937.
  The church suffered during the Second World War, and in the communist period that followed, especially after 1967 when Albania was declared an atheist state, and no public or private expression of religion was allowed.
  The church has, however, seen a revival since religious freedom was restored in 1991, with more than 250 churches rebuilt or restored, and more than 100 clergy being ordained. It has 909 parishes spread all around Albania, and around 500,000 to 550,000 faithful. The number is claimed to be as high as 700,000 by some Orthodox sources – and higher when considering the Albanian diaspora.
context_section_description: So far, 150 new churches have been built, 60 monasteries and more than 160 churches have been repaired.
  Many buildings have been built, and others have been bought and reconstructed for various purposes (such buildings, numbering 70, include: preschools, schools, youth centers, health centers, metropolitan sees, hospitality homes, workshops, soup kitchens, etc.).
  In total there have been roughly 450 building projects.
  Through its construction projects and provision of jobs, the Orthodox Church is contributing to the economic development of the nation and is one of the most serious investors in the country, offering work for many local builders and dozens of workers.
  Since 1995, the Church has put on an architecture course from time to time, each year giving more than 40 young people instruction in various aspects of ecclesiastical construction and architecture.
caption: In Durrës, a church built between 1994 and 2002
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