Alexander "Lek" Sirdani
(1903 - 1948)

A Brief Biography

Born in Gurez, Lezhe, he attended the Franciscan College at Shkodra city then went to Italy and other countries, where he studied theology.  On returning to Albania, he worked as a Priest at the Boga Village, until he was transferred to a larger parish near the Shkodra city, but his villagers loved him so much they went to the officials of Shkodra Diocese and demanded that they transferred him back to Boga.  Their request was fulfilled.

Dom Léka (Father Léka) as the people called Father Sirdani was one of the victims of the catholic cleansing carried on by the communist Albanians.  Wise, as he was, he understood that his days were numbered, therefore he decided to escape the country and find peace in a catholic church somewhere, anywhere, in the world where the people could pray (or not pray for that matter) to the god as they desired.  Unfortunately, yet symbolically, he was captured at the Black Meadow.  Dom Léka died in a communist Jail as most  Northern Albanian Catholic priests , Catholic intellectuals and Catholic artists did in 40s 50s 60s 70s

Dom Léka was the inspiration of God to his parishioners, but they were the inspiration of life to his creative work.  They were the ground from where grew Dom Léka's poetry, folklore & ethnographic studies.

Kelmeni is a place that legends and myths never stop springing up like the life-giving springs of the Alps.  Boga has created a legend for Father Alexander too. 

It is said that the chief communist from the village of Boga had ratted him out to the communists.  When Father Alexander was arrested, he pointed out the man and cursed him:

"Traitor, you who have joined the enemies of our country and our religion, may the lightning, by the very hand of the almighty god, our Lord Jesus Christ, strike you.

Truth be told, years later the man and his nephew were up near the Rraba Peak one rainy day.  They both were standing under an umbrella.  The man was stricken by the lighting, whereas his nephew under the same umbrella was as fit as a fiddle.

Father Sirdani was the borther of the great historian Marin Sirdani

Here is one of Dom Léka's poems dedicated to Boga Church Bell, the oldest one in Albania

"The Bell"

Let go of your echo

Frail as a child

White and pure as youth

Yet mature

Echo

The bell

Echo your melancholy

Touch my heart

Moist my eyes

Echo