SANT'ALESSANDRO DI OROSCI. - An abbey nullius immediately subject to the Holy See, located within northern Albania among the mountains of the Mirdizia region.
In ancient times it was an abbey of the Basilians (according to others, of the Benedictines) dedicated to St. Alexander the Martyr. After its destruction, the territory was divided between the parishes of Oroshi and St. Nicholas of Spaci, dependent on the diocese of Alessio. Given, however, the difficulties of communication with said diocese, Propaganda, by decree of 25 Oct. 1888, detached the abbey nullius, assigning to it 5 parishes, to which 3 others were added in 1890. Finally, by decree of 2 July 1906, 2 parishes of the diocese of Sappa were assigned to II. The abbot was elected from among the Albanian secular clergy. The latest statistics are from 1940, according to which, over a territory of 1,400 sq. km., 13 priests minister to 18,160 Catholics.