7 th ▁century ▁after ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁failed ▁re bell ions ▁and ▁pun itive ▁measures ▁which ▁involved ▁dr astic ▁ra ises ▁in ▁the ▁tax es ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁population . ▁The ▁trib al ▁population ▁of ▁M ird ita ▁saw ▁very ▁few ▁convers ions ▁because ▁the ▁ease ▁they ▁had ▁def ending ▁their ▁terrain ▁meant ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁inter fer ed ▁less ▁in ▁their ▁affairs , ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁prevent ed ▁Islam isation ▁in ▁Ven et ian ▁Alban ia . ▁Today , ▁Catholic ▁Alban ians ▁are ▁mostly ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁M ales ia ▁e ▁Mad he , ▁K iri , ▁Pu ka , ▁Tro po ja ▁( where ▁they ▁are ▁a ▁minor ity ), ▁M ird ita , ▁parts ▁of ▁north western ▁Mat , ▁Kur bin , ▁Le z he , ▁Z adr ima , ▁Sh k od ë r ▁and ▁Ul q in ▁( where ▁they ▁live ▁alongside ▁very ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁Sun ni ▁Muslim s ), ▁minor ities ▁in ▁Kru ja ▁and ▁some ▁major ▁cities , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁scattered ▁po ckets ▁throughout ▁G he g - in hab ited ▁areas . ▁While ▁there ▁remained ▁a ▁small ▁Alban ian ▁Catholic ▁community ▁in ▁V l ore ▁during ▁Ott oman ▁times , ▁larger ▁numbers ▁of ▁C athol ics ▁started ▁were ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Commun ism , ▁often ▁in ▁tradition ally ▁Orth odox ▁areas . ▁ ▁For ▁four ▁centuries , ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Alban ians ▁def ended ▁their ▁faith , ▁a ided ▁by ▁Francis can ▁mission