. ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁▁ ▁Christian ity ▁spread ▁to ▁urban ▁cent ers ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Alban ia , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁composed ▁mostly ▁Ep irus ▁Nova ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁south ▁Il ly ric um , ▁during ▁the ▁later ▁period ▁of ▁Roman ▁invasion ▁and ▁reached ▁the ▁region ▁relatively ▁early . ▁St . ▁Paul ▁pre ached ▁the ▁G ospel ▁' even ▁unto ▁Il ly ric um ' ▁( R om ans ▁ 1 5 : 1 9 ). ▁Sch n abel ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁Paul ▁probably ▁pre ached ▁in ▁Sh k od ra ▁and ▁D urr ë s . ▁The ▁steady ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁Christian ▁community ▁in ▁D yr rh ach ium ▁( the ▁Roman ▁name ▁for ▁E pid am n us ) ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁bishop ric ▁in ▁ 5 8 ▁AD . ▁Later , ▁epis cop al ▁seats ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁Ap oll onia , ▁But h rot um ▁( mod ern ▁But r int ), ▁and ▁Sc od ra ▁( mod ern ▁Sh k od ra ). ▁ ▁One ▁notable ▁Mart yr ▁was ▁Saint ▁Ast ius , ▁who ▁was ▁Bishop ▁of ▁D yr rach ium , ▁who ▁was ▁cru c ified ▁during ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Christians ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Tra jan . ▁Saint ▁Ele uther ius ▁( not ▁to ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁later ▁Saint - P ope ) ▁was ▁bishop ▁of ▁Mess ina ▁and ▁Il ly ria . ▁He ▁was ▁mart y red ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁Anth ia