Tirana/Durrës – From 27 to 31 July 2026, the community of the Daughters of Charity Canossiane in Albania welcomed the canonical visit of the Superior General, Mother Sandra Maggiolo. The days of the visit were lived as a time of intense grace and profound communion.
The canonical visit constitutes one of the most significant moments in the life of the Institute: it is a privileged time of listening, discernment and review, during which the Superior General makes herself present alongside the communities to share their life, support the journey of the sisters and confirm them in fidelity to the charism of Saint Magdalene of Canossa.
During her stay in Albania, Mother Sandra Maggiolo, Superior General, met personally with each of the religious of the community, dedicating time to listening, fraternal dialogue and sharing their spiritual and apostolic journey. There was no lack of communal moments of reflection and review, lived in an atmosphere of great serenity, which fostered a renewed impetus in the mission entrusted to the sisters.
The visit was also an opportunity to learn more closely about the various realities in which the Canossians operate daily. Mother Sandra was able to visit the educational and social works, meeting children, young people, families, collaborators and volunteers who share, each according to their own vocation, the educational and charitable mission of the Institute.
Particularly significant were the meetings with the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Tirana-Durrës, with the National Director of Caritas Albania and with the parish priest of the Parish of “Saint George Martyr”, in whose territory the religious community lives and carries out its pastoral service. Through these moments, the mutual esteem and fruitful collaboration that binds the Daughters of Charity Canossiane to the local Church emerged, in the common desire to witness to the Gospel through service to the littlest and the poorest.
Among the most moving moments of the visit were the meetings with the parish community and with the Social and Educational Centre, during which Mother Sandra was able to experience the sincere affection of the people.
In the Parish of “Saint George Martyr” (Lagjja Mirdita), the children welcomed the Superior General with a joyful message of greeting in English, prepared with enthusiasm and simplicity. This was followed by the celebration of the Votive Holy Mass in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows, Patroness of the Institute, lived with intense participation by the whole community.
At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, the children presented a mime performance dedicated to the history of faith in Albania. Through images, gestures and music, they retraced the journey of the Albanian Church, from the proclamation of the Gospel in the first centuries to the long persecution of the atheist regime and the rebirth of ecclesial life after the return of religious freedom. A simple but intense testimony that aroused emotion and gratitude in those present, recalling how the faith, guarded with courage by so many martyrs and confessors, continues even today to bear fruits of hope.
In her greeting, Mother Sandra expressed deep gratitude for the warm welcome received and for the witness of a young and living Church. Addressing the children in particular, she expressed her joy at seeing the light of faith reflected in their faces and encouraged them to guard this precious gift, allowing themselves to be guided each day by the love of Jesus.
The conclusion of the Canonical Visit was marked by another significant moment of celebration at the Social and Educational Centre (Shënavlash). Songs, dances, testimonies and simple gestures of affection told better than any words the bond of esteem and gratitude born in these days. The subsequent time of fellowship fostered an atmosphere of authentic fraternity, in which religious, collaborators, families and friends shared the joy of the encounter.
In her final message, Mother Sandra renewed her thanks for the hospitality received, inviting everyone to continue to be witnesses of the Gospel in daily life. She recalled how every educational and charitable work acquires value when it is born of the encounter with Christ and becomes a concrete expression of that charity which Saint Magdalene of Canossa has entrusted to her daughters as a style of life and mission.
These days will certainly remain impressed in the memory of the Canossian community of Albania as a time of grace, renewed communion and hope, in which the presence of the Superior General confirmed the sisters and all those who share their mission in the desire to continue serving the Lord with humility, joy and fidelity.