Daniel Dajani

Blessed Daniel Dajani SI Daniel Dajani was born on 2 December 1906 in Blinisht (now Lezhë), in the Zadrine plain, southeast of Shkodër in Albania. At the age of twelve, he entered the Pontifical Seminary of Shkodër, directed by the fathers of the Society of Jesus (Societas Iesu). At the age of 20, on 8 July 1926, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Gorizia (Italy), then he studied philosophy from 1931 to 1933 in Chieri (Italy). He taught in the Shkodër Seminary from 1934 to 1935, to return to Chieri, from 1937 to 1939, to study Theology and receive, on 15 July 1938, priestly ordination. In 1940, he returned to the Shkodër Seminary as a professor and undertook the pastoral activity of the "flying mission". It was an apostolic activity dedicated especially to religious education and reconciliation among family clans in mountain villages. On 2 February 1942, he made his religious profession. He continued for three years as a teacher and a peacemaker. Meanwhile, Albania, shaken by the Second World War, was occupied by the Germans. When Hitler's troops withdrew at the end of 1944, the Communist partisans, commanded by Enver Hoxha, took over, and they began to campaign for discredit and abuse against Catholics. They were particularly angry against the bishops, the Franciscans and the Jesuits; the latter because, through the education of young people, they contributed to the cultural formation of the ruling classes of the country, especially in the North. Fr Daniel, who wanted to continue his journeys of reconciliation, was appointed Rector of the Shkodër Seminary in September 1945. His calm attitude and firmness were particularly praised by his students, who reassured above all through his actions. In December 1945, one of the seminary students, Fran Gaçi, died in his own home after being tortured by Sigurimi (the secret police) and released. On December 31st, together with Fr Giovanni Fausti, vice-provincial of the Jesuits in Albania and his predecessor as rector, he went to the village of origin of the young, for a suffrage Mass: in his homily, he openly declared that whoever wanted to follow the the footsteps of Fran Gaçi should be proud of dying for the Christian faith. That same evening, as soon as they returned to Shkodër, the two priests were arrested. Fr Daniel was held in solitary confinement for two months and, even later, was subjected to torture. He never broke down or despaired, but continued to think of the other prisoners. In January 1946, along with other prisoners, he was subjected to a trial that, in reality, had the conclusion already written. Fr Daniel, with the signs of torture still visible on his face, firmly replied to the accusations that were addressed to him and to the others: the main one, that of being politicizing traitors of the nation, subservient to the West and spies of the Vatican. To this was added that of being the leaders of the Albanian Union: in reality, it was the pseudonym with which the seminarians Mark Çuni and Gjergj Bici had signed some leaflets with which they had tried to oppose the communist propaganda, printed on their own and without mentioning it to the superiors. At the end of the trial, one of the military judges addressed him for the last time: "Do you believe in God and his son, Jesus Christ?" Fr Daniel replied: "I believe since my childhood and I am ready to die to bear witness to my faith". With sarcasm, one of the judges replied: "We will see if this Jesus Christ will save your head from the justice of the people's court!" The priest, without breaking up or raising his tone, went on: "My companions and I consider it a privilege to die for Jesus Christ, because our sacrifice will be the source of new martyrs of the Christian faith", adding: "Perhaps one day the people will understand what error was committed here". He then pronounced his extreme defense: "I do not ask for mercy, but justice in the face of this tribunal". On 22 February 1946, after a show trial, the sentences were read. Eight were sentenced to death by shooting: Fr Gjon Shllaku , Fr Giovanni Fausti , Fr Daniel Dajani , seminarians Mark Çuni and Gjergj Bici, lay people Gjelosh Lulashi , Fran Mirakaj , and Qerim Sadiku . The others accused with them were sentenced to prison, for a period that could go from five years to the whole of life, in fact, if they had even minimally transgressed. For Gjergj Bici, the sentence was later commuted into years of forced labor, while Fran Mirakaj is reported to have died in September 1946. At dawn on 4 March 1947, the remaining six were transported to the Catholic Cemetery of Shkodër (Varrezat e Rrmajit), where they were executed. At 6 am, the order was given to the eight soldiers of the platoon, armed with machine guns, to "FIRE". Fr Daniel then pronounced his last words: "I forgive all those who hurt me. I'm happy to be able to die innocent rather than guilty. That my parents offer money to Father Zef Shllaku to celebrate two Masses for me". On 5 November 2016, beatification was celebrated at the Square of the Katedralja e Shën Stefanit in Shkodër, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato.