Fran Mirakaj

Blessed Fran Mirakaj Fran was born at Kodër Qurk in Iballë of Pukës on 13 August 1916. He was married to Prenda Alija Kamerin in October of 1934. He worked in livestock and was a salesman. A life-long layperson of the Diocese of Sapës, he was arrested in Iballë and imprisoned in Shkodër on 24 December 1945. 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. 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. Fran Mirakaj was reportedly shot to death, at the age of 30, in September 1946. On 5 November 2016, beatification was celebrated at the Square of the Katedralja e Shën Stefanit in Shkodër, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato.