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The servant of God Fr. Gjon (Baptismal name Kole) Shllaku
Father Loro Mother Rushe (Mare) Ashta.
Born in Shkodër on the 27 July 1907.
Baptised on the 28 July 1907 in Shkodër Confirmation on
the 23 May 1915
from the Diocese of Shkodër. Religions Institution OFM.
Priestly ordination in
………..on the 15 March 1931.
reception of the
religions habit in Troshan on the 04 October 1922.
Temporary Profession in Troshan on the 05 October 1923. Solemn
profession in……..on the 13 September 1928. He studied Theology in Italy
and philosophy in Louvain. He received a doctorate at the Sorbonne,
Paris (1936 – 1937). He taught in the college in Illyricum philosophy,
French, Policy and economy. He was the director of the young group “Antonianum”.
Author. He was also the director and publisher of the magazine “Hylli i
Drites” star of light. He was arrested on the 15 of January 1946 while
he was in the class – room teaching in the high school “Illyricum”. He
was imprisoned in Shkodër and sentenced to death on the 22 February
1946. He was shot and killed on the 04 March 1946 at 5 am.
Other information: He was one of the most respected men in Shkodër. He
said one in his homily: “Now that Lenin and Stalin, have come don’t
abandon God or the church”. After a while he was arrested. By this time
priests were being arrested and they had arrested many Jesuit priests
and some Franciscan brothers. He had said to his friends “now in my time
and importunity I am not the first neither the last, Let us pray to God
to give us the strength and the courage to ear the Martyrdom.
After the first arrest and the killing of Fr. Anton Harapi the president
of Yugoslavia said to Enver Hoxha: “I agree with what your have done but
you have left alive Fr. Gjon Shllakun, who still is valuable”.
After they tortured him in an indescribable way they shot and killed him
together with Father Giovanni Fausti, Fr. Daniel Dajani, and the
seminarian Mark Çuni and other faithful people.
While they were taking him to be executed together with others they
recited the litany of our Blessed Lady in Latin.
His last words were. “Greet my Franciscan friends all my family. Glory
be to Christ the King Long live Albania”. They shot and killed him
outside the cemetery of Remaj in Shkodër and left him there
His deep faith, culture, and
love for his home land caused hatred by the government. When they
tortured him he said to the policeman, “I know who you are, and know
that you want to destroy the faith, but you will never succeed.
His lost were these: “Glory
be to Christ the King and I forgive my enemies, Albania will not die
with us’.
He was shot and killed along
with others in the Cemetery of Remaj in Shkodër and there they were
left.
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