Nikola may have passed on to his children a sense of ethnic identity
and nationalist pride; however, it was Drana who nurtured the children’s
spiritual growth. Almost every evening, the Bojaxhiu family gathered in
the living room to recite the rosary. Drana also oversaw the children’s
evening prayers. A devout Catholic who went to Mass almost every day,
Drana not only made sure her children practiced their religion but also in-
corporated it into their everyday lives. This was easier said than done.
The Roman Catholic community in Albania was small; fewer than 10
percent of the population declared themselves Roman Catholic. Al-
though few in number, the Roman Catholic community in Skopje and
throughout Albania was close-knit.
Not only did Drana practice religious devotion, she also believed
deeply in the spiritual value of good works. She was always available to
help those in need. In this practice, her husband supported her and
Gonxha aided her. On any given day, Nikola left with Drana enough
money to help the poor children or adults who came to the house. Com-
monly, the less fortunate not only received a hand out from the Bojaxhiu
family, but also took meals with them, reminding the children that the
needy were also part of their larger human family. “Some of them are our
relations,” Drana once told her children, “but all of them are our people.”^2
One of the strongest of Lazar’s memories is of his mother taking in a
woman stricken with a tumor and nursing her back to health. Besides tak-
ing strangers into her home, Drana visited the poor in theirs, taking them
food, money, and medicine. On these occasions, Gonxha often accompa-
nied her mother, helping her as she made her way from family to family of-
fering both spiritual and material comfort. Drana’s Christian charity
offered a powerful example, helping to mold Gonxha’s spiritual life and to
shape her destiny.
When the time came for the children to begin school, they attended
classes held in Sacred Heart Church. For four years, the Bojaxhiu children
studied in the Albanian language. At the fifth year, they began to learn in
Serbo-Croatian. Upon leaving the church school, the children went to
public schools where all the instruction was given in Serbo-Croatian.
Early on, Gonxha distinguished herself as a gifted and disciplined student.
TRAGEDY
Nikola’s participation in Albanian politics continued even after inde-
pendence. When, in 1919, Albanian leaders tried to acquire Kosovo,
Nikola traveled to a political gathering in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. While at-
tending a banquet, Nikola fell seriously ill. Alarmed at her husband’s con-
6 MOTHER TERESA