▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Boston . ▁Like ▁many ▁other ▁Orth odox ▁imm igr ants , ▁they ▁were ▁pre domin antly ▁young , ▁ill iter ate , ▁male ▁pe as ants . ▁Like ▁so ▁many ▁other ▁B alk an ▁imm igr ants , ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁( al most ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ) ▁returned ▁to ▁their ▁hom eland ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁AD , ▁the ▁lit urg ical ▁services , ▁schools ▁and ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁had ▁been ▁conducted ▁in ▁Greek . ▁When ▁Alban ia ▁came ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁influence ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁people ▁of ▁Alban ia ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Arch bishop ric ▁of ▁O hr id ▁which ▁was ▁officially ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Those ▁Alban ian ▁Orth odox , ▁who , ▁in ▁the ▁fashion ▁of ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁B alk an ▁national ism , ▁sought ▁to ▁see ▁their ▁church ▁as ▁an ▁Alban ian ▁rather ▁than ▁Greek ▁body , ▁were ▁frequently ▁ex communic ated ▁by ▁the ▁Greek - spe aking ▁hierarchy . ▁Consider ing ▁that ▁identity ▁during ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁centuries ▁was ▁defined ▁primarily ▁by ▁religious ▁affili ations , ▁such ▁questions ▁in ▁the ▁post - O tt oman ▁period ▁lo omed ▁large ▁in ▁the ▁bur geon ing ▁national ▁and ▁cultural ▁ident ities . ▁After ▁the ▁E c umen ical ▁Patri arch ate ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁lost ▁in ▁