Don Arjan Dodaj has been appointed by Pope Francis as the new Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tirana-Durrës. Don Arjan Dodaj will replace in this post, Monsignor George Frendo, who retired. 

Who is Monsignor Arjan Dodaj: 

The well-known priest, don Arjan Dodaj, was born in Laç i Kurbinit, in the Archdiocese of Tirana-Durrës, on January 21, 1977. In 1993, after graduating from high school in his hometown, he emigrated to Italy. He settled in Cuneo, where he started working. 

In 1977 he applied to be admitted to the Priestly Brotherhood of the Sons of the Cross, near the "House of Mary" Community in Rome. On the way to prepare for the priesthood, he began studying philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University "Queen of the Apostles" where he received the title of Baccalaureate. 

He was ordained a priest on May 11, 2003 by Pope John Paul II, in St. Peter's Basilica and was incarnated in the Diocese of Rome, as a member of the priestly Brotherhood of the Sons of the Cross, in the "House of Mary" community. 

After the priestly ordination, he performed various pastoral duties. From 2003 to 2004 he was deputy parish priest in the Parish of St. Domenico Guzman, in Rome; from 2004 to 2005, Vice-Rector of the Rectorate of "San Giovanni della Malva" and Chaplain of the Albanian community in Rome; from 2005 to 2017, Deputy Parish Priest of the Parish "St. Raphael the Archangel", in Rome. 

In 2027, with the approval of his bishop, the Cardinal-Vicar of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, he was transferred as a priest fidei donum to the Archdiocese of Tirana-Durrës, where he performed these pastoral duties: Vicar General, Parish Priest of " The Immaculate Heart of Our Lady ”in Gramëz; Head of the university pastorate; Second Secretary of the Albanian Episcopal Conference and Secretary-General of the Diocesan Synod.