Saturday, February 17, was a special day for the "Sant'Egidio" family home in Tirana. A few days before the community's 50th anniversary, the friends of the "red house" received a visit from Bishop Asti Bakallbashi of the Orthodox Church of Albania, who is the vicar of Archbishop Anastasios. It was a joyful moment for the guests of the house, some of whom are Orthodox. The bishop was extremely impressed with the family and the welcoming environment. He claimed, “this is a real home and a real family”. He listened to the stories of the guests and how they have moved from the difficult and harsh life of the psychiatric hospital to the joyful and serene life of a family home. The bishop concluded by saying: "in this transformation, there is a real resurrection; what may seem impossible to men, such as changing the lives of these sick people, becomes possible to those who have faith and walk with the Lord. In the family home of Sant'Egidio, one can contemplate the 'icon of Christ' as described in chapter 25 of Matthew's gospel in which Jesus identifies himself with the poorest”.
