Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese In America

The Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America is the denominational headquarters of Albanian Orthodoxy in the United States, with its chancery at 523 East Broadway in South Boston. It traces its origin to the early twentieth century and to Fan Noli, who celebrated the first Albanian-language liturgy in Boston in 1908.

Since 1971 the archdiocese has been one of three ethnic dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America, alongside the Romanian and Bulgarian jurisdictions within the OCA. It oversees 11 parishes spread across California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The current bishop is Nikodhim (Preston).

The South Boston chancery sits next to Saint George Cathedral, which functions as the archdiocesan cathedral and the spiritual center of the local Albanian Orthodox community. The cathedral describes itself as drawing worshippers from more than 40 area towns in Massachusetts and from neighboring states, anchoring Greater Boston's long-established Albanian Orthodox presence.

For Albanian-Americans, the archdiocese carries a particular historical weight: the Albanian-language liturgy first took root in Boston before the autocephalous Church of Albania itself was organized, and the South Boston chancery remains the institutional continuation of that founding work.