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Frok Zefi Catholic priest, historian and publicist in Croatia
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10498/1/Frok-Zefi-Catholic-priest-historian-and-publicist-in-Croatia.html
By Darko Žubrinić
Published on 12/13/2013
 
Besides his regular duties in his parish, Don Frok Zefi (on the photo) is very active as a historian and publicist. Till now he has published about a dozen of books and monographs, most of them in Zagreb and Osijek, and some of them printed in Albanian as well. No doubt, the greatest Albanian in history was legenedary Mother Teresa, educated as a girl by Croatian Jesuits. The greatest expert in the history of Albanians was distinguished Croatian scientist and polyglot Milan pl. Šufflay (1879-1931).

Don Frok Zefi's "With Blessed Mother Teresa in Prayer" published in Zagreb in 2013





In 1997 late Joško Martinović from the Croatian TV prepared the following amazing report about a small "priest"
having 3.5 years: Antonio Vranješ, in the village of Brijest. Antonio has been been inspired by don Frok Zefi.


 
Frok Zefi

Don Frok Zefi was born in 1961 in the village of Binche in Kosovo. He completed the high school in the city of Subotica, and started his studies of philosphy and theology at the University of Zagreb, continuing them in the city of Đakovo. As a catholic priest he worked in various villages and towns in Croatia, like in Vrbanja, Velikoj Kopanica, Ivankovo, Osijek, Brijest, Podgajci Podravski, Bočkinci, Vuka and Josipovac.

Besides his regular duties don Zefi is very active as a historian and publicist. Till now he has published the following books and monographs, and some of them have been printed in Albanian as well:

  1. Mihael Summa, nadbiskup skopski (1695-1777), Zagreb, 1994.
  2. Albanci Klementinci u Hrtkovcima i Nikincima (1737-1997.), Zagreb 1997. Prijevod ove knjige na albanski jezik tiskan je u Zagrebu 2003. godine. 
  3. Djelovanje isusovaca u albanskom narodu, Zagreb, 2002.
  4. Župa Podgajci Podravski, Podgajci Podravski. 2002.
  5. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u 18. stoljeću, Zagreb, 2004.
  6. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u XVII. stoljeću, Zagreb, 2006.
  7. Župa Vuka, Vuka 2006.
  8. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u XIX. stoljeću, I. svezak, Zagreb, 2008.  
  9. Župe  Binač, 2012.
  10. S Blaženom Majkom Terezijom u molitvi, 2013.

The title of his latest book on the list, published in 2013 in Zagreb, is "With Blessed Mother Teresa in Prayer."

Here we mention his extensive article dealing with the missions of Jesuits among Albanians people:

  • Frok Zefi, Djelovanje isusovaca u albanskom narodu, Unija zajednice Albanaca u Republici Hrvatskoj, Zagreb 2002., 115 str.

He has also collaborated with Ms. Snježana Božić, Zagreb, in organizing various humanitarian exhibitions of works of art of Croatian painters. Don Frok Zefi is very popular and beloved among his parisheners in Croatia.

The reader will notice that the family name of don Frok is sometimes written as Zefi, and sometims as Zefiq, but his original second name is Zefi.



Mother Teresa was educated as a young girl by Croatian Jesuists.
In India she was in close contact with Ante Gabrić, SJ, a legendary Croatian missionary in Bengal, India.

Fr. Ante Gabrić with Mother Teresa. Photo by Zvonimir Atletić.

Fr. Ante Gabrić with Mother Teresa. Photo by Zvonimir Atletić.

Mother Teresa in Zagreb in 1977 with Fr. Ante Gabrić and Vladimir Paleček. Many thanks to Snježana Božić for the photo.

Mother Teresa receiving keys of the car from Vladimir Paleček; Fr. Ante Gabrić on the right. Photo from
the monograph Vladimir Paleček: Djeca zemalja u razvoju, Međunarodni fond "Gladno dijete", 1980.

Mother Teresa in Zagreb in the court of Basilica of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Palmotićeva 31, around 1980.
Many thanks to Br. Ivo Domazet (on the photo on the left).

Zvonimir Atletić in a friendly chat with Mother Teresa in 1970s in India.



Very active in Croatia's capital Zagreb is the Albanian Community in the Republic of Croatia

The Community is copublisher of some of Don Zefi's monographs.







Mother Teresa in Binche in 1980, in the birthplace of don Frok Zefi.
Photo from the above monograph.


 
Frok Zefi

Rođen je 10. listopada 1961. godine od oca Đine i majke Zine rođene Munishi u Binču. Krstio ga je don Luka Cirimoti 16. listopada 1961. u župnoj crkvi Sv. Antuna Padovanskoga u Binču, gdje je i krizman 1975. godine.

Osnovnu je školu završio u rodnom selu, a gimnaziju u Sjemeništu Sv. Pavla u Subotici. Studij filozofije i teologije započeo je u Zagrebu, nastavio u Đakovu i Sarajevu. Diplomirao je u Zagrebu obradivši temu Don Pavao Sogagni, instruktor albanskog  jezika i odgojitelj klementinske mladežiť. Za đakona je zaređen u Đakovačkoj katedrali 1989., a za svećenika 29. listopada 1989. godine u Komletincima kod Vinkovaca u Đakovačko-srijemskoj biskupiji. Đakonski i svećenički red podijelio mu je mon. Ćiril Kos, đakovački i srijemski biskup.



Kao kapelan služio je u Vrbanji, Velikoj Kopanici, Ivankovu i u Župi Osijek 5. Župnikom je imenovan u Župi Osijek 10, u naselju Brijest, udaljenom od središta Osijeka 5 kilometara. Tu je sagradio crkvu Mučeništva Svetoga Ivana Krstitelja.

Župnikom u Podgajcima Podravskim imenovan je 1. rujna 1998. godine. U ovoj se župi uz ostale pastoralne dužnosti  morao baviti i građevinski poslovima. Proširio je i obnovio filijalnu crkvu Sv. Lovre u Črnkovcima, izolirao župnu crkvu Sv. Martina Biskupa u Podgajcima Podravskim i sagradio filijalnu crkvu Sv. Augustina u Bočkincima..

Dana 19. kolovoza 2003. godine imenovan je  župnikom u Vuki. Tu je obnovio župni dvor, proširio dvorište te dobio zgradu mjesnoga doma za potrebe pastoralnoga centra, u dvorištu sagradio ŤLurdsku špiljuť i prostor za veće crkvene svečanosti, u  Širokom Polju obnovio filijalnu crkvu Sv. Lovre i oko nje uredio dvorište, a u Vuki je proširio i produžio župnu crkvu Sv. Josipa.

Od 18. kolovoza 2012. godine župnikom je župe sv. Josipa u Josipovcu kod Osijeka. Obnavlja župnu crkvu iznutra i uređuje okoliš župe.

Uz sve svoje svećeničke poslove bavi se i pisanjem te je objavio ova djela:
 
  1. Mihael Summa, nadbiskup skopski (1695-1777), Zagreb, 1994.
  2. Albanci Klementinci u Hrtkovcima i Nikincima (1737-1997.), Zagreb 1997. Prijevod ove knjige na albanski jezik tiskan je u Zagrebu 2003. godine. 
  3. Djelovanje isusovaca u albanskom narodu, Zagreb, 2002.
  4. Župa Podgajci Podravski, Podgajci Podravski. 2002.
  5. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u 18. stoljeću, Zagreb, 2004.
  6. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u XVII. stoljeću, Zagreb, 2006.
  7. Župa Vuka, Vuka 2006.
  8. Skopsko-prizrenska nadbiskupija u XIX. stoljeću, I. svezak, Zagreb, 2008.  
  9. Župe  Binač, 2012.
  10. S Blaženom Majkom Terezijom u molitvi, 2013.

Svećeništvo s jedne, a povijest s druge strane poput zlata i pamuka isprepletene su u  životu vlč. Froka Zefija, u uistinu raskošno tkanje, ponajprije zato što je sve učinjeno posvetio Čovjeku - s velikim početnim slovom Č i to je uvijek konkretno potkrijepljivao. Tako su u župama, gdje je do sada župnikovao, obično nicale nove lijepe crkve, kamo su ljudi rado ulazili i to čine i dan danas. Jednako vrijedan i podjednako težak posao bio je, međutim, i onaj vezan uz povijesna istraživanja. Budući da se ne smije potcijeniti "učiteljicu života", namjera mu je bila od zaborava otrgnuti  istinu o pripadnicima njegovoga, prije tri stoljeća protjeranoga albanskoga naroda. Zato, osim što lomi kruh kod oltara, umnaža i riječ kako bi starije potsjetio, a one što tek pristižu poučio gdje su im korijeni.





Milan Šufflay, pioneer of albanology

As we see, Croatians and Albanians have numerous bright connections. But one of the most brilliant is Milan Šufflay, distinguished Croatian scientist and polyglot, and the greatest expert on the history of Albanians.

Milan Sufflay (1879-1931), was a brilliant Croatian historian and polyglot of international reputation, known by his numerous scientific contributions, especially in the field of albanology. His mother was a German from Hungary, and his father a Croat. In 1913 and in 1918, in cooperation with Konstantin Jirecek and Ludwig von Thalloczy, he published two volumes of Acta Albaniae (Acta et Diplomata res Albania mediaevalis illustrantia) in Vienna, in the Latin language. It covers the history of Albania from 344 AD to 1406. His monograph Srbi i albanci (Serbs and Albanians), 1925, has been translated into French and English (English translation from Croatian original by Theresa Alt and Wayles Browne, Cornell University, USA). From 1908 till 1918 Sufflay was professor of the University of Zagreb. From 1918 onward he was not allowed to lecture any more, and the ex-Yugoslav government in Belgrade did not allow him to visit Hungary, Italy, and the Vatican for scientific archival work. It was forbidden for him to accept the position of professor offered to him by the University of Budapest in Hungary. Despite all this, Sufflay planned to publish a continuation of Acta Albaniae in four additional volumes. The project had been financed by the Albanian King Zogu and the government of the state, and Sufflaz even delivered a lecture in the building of the Albanian Parliament in Tirana in Albanian language about his project. The financial support equivalent to today's 3,000,000 USD had been deposited in a Swiss bank.

Sufflay was assassinated by a steel rod on a street in the center of Zagreb in 1931, at the age of 52. After the dramatic events that followed, Albert Einstein and Heinrich Mann sent an appeal to the International League of Human Rights in Paris to protect Croats from the terror and persecutions of the Serbian police. It was also published in the New York Times (6th May 1931). As we learn from this letter, the newspapers in Zagreb were not allowed to report about Sufflay's activity; it was not allowed to attach a half-mast flag on the main building of the University of Zagreb in his honour; the time of the funeral could not be announced publicly, and even condolence messages were not allowed to be telegraphed. In their letter Einstein and Mann hold the Yugoslav king Aleksandar explicitly responsible for the state terror over the Croats. The letter concludes that it should not be tolerated that killings be allowed as a means to achieve political goals. We should not allow killers to be promoted as national heroes. He is the author of the first Croatian SF (science fiction) novel Na Pacifiku 2255. In 2002, an international congress "Shuflaj dhe Shqiptarët", dedicated to Milan Sufflay, the pioneer of albanology, has been organized in Tirana, capital of Albania. Alfred Moisiu, president of Albania, posthumously decorated Milan Sufflay with the order of "Naim Frasheri d'or". Sufflay's written opus comprises about 3000 items.


Source www.croatianhistory.net



"Albanian Corner" in the Public library Bogdan Ogrizović in Zagreb. The corner is directed by Mrs. Dorotea Kerni

Some of the books by don Frok Zefi kept in "Albanian Corner"






 
Isusovci na Kosovu

Na Kosovu su polovinom XIX. stoljeća živjeli Albanci, Srbi, Čerkezi, Hrvati i Cigani. U vjerskome pogledu većinu su sačinjavali muslimani i pravoslavci, dok su katolici bili u manjini. Albanski narod u Albaniji i na Kosovu dijelio se na plemena i barjake, a unutar te podjele bila je i vjerska pripadnost islamu ili kršćanstvu, odnosno katolicizmu. Protektorat nad katolicima u turskoj državi imala je najprije Francuska, zatim Austrija, a naposljetku ga je pokušala ostvariti i Italija. Sve su te katoličke države nakon vjerskoga protektorata (nakon propasti Otomanskoga Carstva) htjele ostvariti i civilni protektorat, aneksijom pojedinih dijelova turske države. Nad pravoslavnim sultanovim podanicima, sa sličim namjerama, protektorat je svojatala Rusija.

Isusovački misionari posjetili su više puta sve župe Skopske nadbiskupije i opisali su stanovništvo, socijalno i vjersko stanje u Đakovici, Janjevu, Letnici, Peći, Prizrenu, Skoju, Uroševcu i Zjumu te brojnim filijalama ovih župnih sredićnjica. Tako su do nas došli opisi hrvatske dijaspore na Kosovu. Iz misionarskih izvješća nedvojbeno saznajemo da isusovci nisu željeli postati eksponenti austrijske vlasti i politike. Oni su jednostavno željeli raditi među siromasima na slavu Božju i ostati vjerni svojemu zavjetu posluha rimskomu prvosvećeniku – papi.

Godine 1888. utemeljili su isusovci u Skadru Albansku leteću misiju. Ta je ustanova sa svojim misionarima i naročitom metodom rada sačuvala ostatke katolicizma u albanskome narodu, a također i na Kosovu u Skopskoj nadbiskupiji. Isusovački misionari obilazili su katolike po raspršenim selima, nastojeći sačuvati u katoličkoj vjeri svaku preostalu katoličku obitelj ili pojedinca. U svojem poslu nailazili su na brojne poteškoće zbog političkog previranja u turskoj državi, praznovjerja i nepoučenosti vjernika, zbog pomanjkanja škola i kontakta s katoličkom svećenikom.

Na svojim misijskim putovanjima isusovci su se susretali s potajnim katolicima (ljaramanima), pravoslavcima i onima koji su s katoličke vjere prešli na islam. Svima su njima, a naročito siromasima i progonjenima, nastojali navijestiti Radosnu vijest spasenja. Godine 1910. isusovci osnivaju u Skopju svoju rezidenciju. Zbog Balkanskih ratova i stvaranja versajske Jugoslavije ta će rezidencija poslije biti ukinuta, ali uz druge vidljive plodove samoprijegorna rada skopski su isusovci odgojili u misijskome duhu najveću ženu našega vremena, svima poznatu Majku Tereziju.

Frok Zefi, župnik

Source www.katolici.org






Many thanks to Ms. Snježana Božić, Zagreb, for kind help in preparing this article.

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