The village of Letnica, in the mountains 70 kilometres east of Pristina, near Kosovo’s border with Macedonia, is best known for its whitewashed Catholic church.
This is the church where, in 1928, Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu – better known as Mother Theresa – said she was called by God to begin her charity mission in Calcutta, India.
The centre of attraction for pilgrims to the church who follow in her footsteps is its Black Madonna statue, carved from blackened wood. It is believed to have been created more than 400 years ago, in the style of Michelangelo.
Some believers claim to have seen tears coming from the statue’s eyes, while others insist they have experienced miraculous cures. Infertile couples, both Muslims and Christians, visit the effigy because they believe it will help them conceive a child.
August 14 and 15 are the busiest days for the church, when pilgrims from all over the region, including Croats who used to live in the village, visit the site for Assumption Day celebrations.
On a normal day however, it is quiet in the village, which is now home to some 500 people – around 50 Croats, 250 Albanian Muslims and 140 Albanian Catholics.
