ia ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁Francis can ▁Catholic ism ▁in ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁high lands ▁of ▁Mal ë s ia . ▁The ▁orig ins ▁of ▁Francis can ism ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁Francis c ans ▁opposed ▁the ▁convers ions ▁of ▁Alban ians ▁to ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁faith . ▁Francis can ism ▁expanded ▁further ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 8 ▁with ▁the ▁Italian ▁Fra ▁Cher ub ino , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁f athers ▁of ▁the ▁Francis can ▁mission ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁Italian ▁fri ars , ▁pri ests ▁and ▁lay ▁brothers ▁from ▁the ▁Holy ▁Cong reg ation ▁of ▁the ▁Pro pag ation ▁of ▁the ▁faith ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 5 ▁to ▁c atholic ise ▁the ▁region . ▁The ▁first ▁Catholic ▁mission ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁R ag usa ▁in ▁ 1 2 8 3 . ▁ ▁Through ▁out ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁Francis c ans ▁had ▁a ▁clear ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁ag enda ▁as ▁they ▁worked ▁toward ▁an ▁en light ened ▁rev ital ization ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁nation ▁which ▁helped ▁strength en ▁Alban ian ▁identity . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁was ▁supported ▁and ▁a ▁law ▁code ▁was ▁developed ▁for ▁Christians ▁and ▁Muslim s ▁al ike . ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁known ▁Alban ian ▁Francis can ▁fri as ▁were ▁G jer g j ▁F is ht a ▁( 1 8 7 1 – 1