[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10494-10495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF FATHER ANTON KCIRA'S RETIREMENT AFTER MORE THAN 40 
                YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 6, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Father Anton 
Kcira, a leader in Michigan's Albanian American community for the past 
22 years and a fierce advocate for the rights of Kosova Albanians 
around the world, on the occasion of his retirement after 40 years of 
ministry in the Catholic Church.
  As the son of a town mayor in Kosova, Father Anton learned at a young 
age the value of service to his community and the importance of 
standing up for one's own beliefs. Early in his life, Father Anton 
heard the call to serve his community as a priest in the Catholic 
Church and went on to serve several parishes for over two decades 
following his ordination. As a servant of the Church during the years 
of communist rule in Yugoslavia, Father Anton took great personal risk 
to provide spiritual guidance and leadership to the Kosova Albanian 
Catholic community during a time of great uncertainty.
  As a community leader, it is clear that Father Anton believes 
strongly in the power of dialogue to bring his community together. 
During his time in Kosova he took it upon himself to step out into the 
community to resolve issues between brothers, sisters, friends and 
neighbors. He even took it upon himself to step in between the warring 
sides of blood feuds and brought peace between families who had been 
fighting for generations. Father Anton even reached out to Albania's 
Muslim community and through his skillful dialogue built an 
understanding and mutual respect between Albanian Muslims and 
Catholics.
  After his many years of service to the Albanian community in Kosova, 
Father Anton was forced to flee his homeland to avoid persecution by 
Yugoslavia's communist government. Father Anton arrived in Michigan in 
1989 and was appointed administrator of St. Paul's Albanian Catholic 
Church by the Archdiocese of Detroit. He brought with him the same 
sense of community that had served his parishioners so well in Kosova 
and under his administration St. Paul expanded its congregation from 50 
families to over 1,100 members. Under his leadership, St. Paul's also 
found its new home in Rochester Hills and built an extraordinary

[[Page 10495]]

place of worship, which has allowed its members to better practice 
their spiritual fellowship.
  Much as he did in Kosova, Father Anton has continued to play a 
central role within the community he serves. Father Anton rallied the 
Albanian community to support the many Albanian refugees who arrived, 
first fleeing from communism and then from genocide in the Balkans. In 
an even greater show of leadership, Father Anton called upon his parish 
to meet the challenges its brothers and sisters were facing in the 
Balkans and the St. Paul's parishioners responded by raising over one 
million dollars to help the wounded in Kosova. In addition, Father 
Anton has been an unwavering international voice for the needs of 
Kosova, advising Members of Congress, U.S. Presidents and world 
political and religious leaders on the need to support Kosova's ethnic 
Albanian minority. In 1999, he even sat as a member of the Rambuje 
Delegation which developed the peace that has allowed Kosova to become 
the independent nation that it is today.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in celebrating a 
true leader, statesman and humanitarian as Father Anton Kcira 
celebrates his retirement after more than 40 years in the service to 
the Catholic Church. Father Anton has truly been a father to a 
community that has faced so much adversity and contributed immensely to 
improve the lives of millions around the world. I wish him happiness in 
his retirement and trust that he will continue to be a strong advocate 
for his community and for fairness and social justice around the world.

                          ____________________