lands ▁surv ived ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁Francis c ans . ▁Mur z aku ▁writes ▁that ▁the ▁Francis c ans ▁fought ▁to ▁maintain ▁Catholic ism ▁in ▁Mal ë s ia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁Latin ▁faith ▁maintained ▁Alban ians ▁connection ▁to ▁western ▁Europe . ▁In ▁ 1 2 7 2 ▁King ▁Charles ▁I ▁of ▁An jou ▁occupied ▁most ▁of ▁Alban ia ▁and ▁brought ▁Francis can ▁fri ars ▁with ▁pro - R oman ▁and ▁pro - p ap al ▁ide als ▁after ▁he ▁proc laimed ▁" Reg num ▁Alban iae ". ▁Alban ian ▁nobles , ▁such ▁as ▁Dem et rio ▁Ar ban ens i , ▁( D h imit ë r ) ▁sent ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Pope ▁In noc ent ▁III ▁seeking ▁his ▁assistance ▁in ▁the ▁pre aching ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁faith . ▁In ▁ 1 2 8 8 , ▁Queen ▁Hel ene ▁d ' An jou ▁initi ated ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁Francis can ▁convent ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mary ▁in ▁Sh k od ë r ▁and ▁Francis can ▁convent ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mark ▁in ▁Ul q in ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁T iv ar ▁and ▁Kot orr . ▁Stefan ▁U ros ▁IV ▁D us an ▁occupied ▁most ▁of ▁An j ous ▁kingdom ▁and ▁enfor ced ▁Du š an ' s ▁Code ▁forb idd ing ▁and ▁pun ishing ▁Catholic ▁pros ely t ism . ▁Francis c ans ▁and ▁Domin icans ▁were ▁tra pped ▁between ▁eastern ▁and ▁western ▁political ▁t ensions ▁with ▁Rome ▁seeking ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁Catholic ▁emb ank ment ▁to