Maren Sørensen (1882–1957) is considered to be the first female Danish priest. She was ordained by the independent

Grundtvig Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential peo ...

ian cleric Niels Dael in 1940 in

Havrebjerg Havrebjerg is a village on Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. History Maren Sørensen, considered to be the first female Danish priest, was ordained by Havrebjerg by the independent Grundtvigian priest Nie ...

. Sørensen is also remembered for her extensive work as a nurse, foster mother and family carer in Southern Jutland.

Biography

Born on 12 July 1882 in Varde Municipality in the west of

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

, Maren Sørensen was the daughter of the farmer Jacob Sørensen (1842–1921) and Ane Cathrine Nielsen (1849–1900). From the age of four, she was brought up by her paternal grandparents. Her grandfather Elias S. Han was a devout

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

who cast aspersions on those who did not conform to his beliefs. When she was 10, she returned to live with her mother, resolving to serve God with a more joyful Christian attitude. The years she spent caring for her ailing mother inspired her to become a nurse. She first attended Janderup

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, before continuing her education at

Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen is a Deacon institution located at Bernstorffsvej 20 in Hellerup, Gentofte Municipality, Copenhagen, Denmark. History Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen was founded by Isabelle Brockenhuus-Løwenhielm and pastor Vilhelm Kold from Indre ...

and the Blegdam Hospital in Copenhagen. After spending three years as a nurse in Strøby, Stevns, she went on a course at Liselund's Grundtvigian school founded by Niels Dael. Deeply influenced by both Dael and Laurids Bertelsen Poulsen who had ties to religious developments in Southern Jutland, for the next 11 years she became a travelling nurse in the Tønder district and, from 1912, in

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the ...

. Settling in Holbøl, she founded the Danish Nursing Association in Flensburg (''Dansk Sygeplejeforening i Flensborg''). When the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

began in 1914, she volunteered for war service, caring for people of various nationalities, especially French and Russian prisoners of war. In 1920, she took charge of the newly built children's home in Vilstrup near Haderslev where she remained for the next 26 years, caring for more than 8,000 frail children from Southern Jutland during the summer months. She nevertheless spent the winters back in Southern Jutland caring for the Danish-speaking population just south of the border. In 1930, she built a community centre in Valsbøl which, in addition to rooms for sewing and carpentry, housed a prayer room and her own living quarters. Funded by private gifts and supported by national associations, it was opened by Dael over a three-day event which attracted 800 people. Although she was not entitled to become a priest under Danish regulations, she acted as a cleric, conducting services and carrying out other religious duties. Nevertheless, in 1940 she was ordained by Niels Dael in the independent Lutheran church in Havrebjerg. She was therefore not ordained into the National Church of Denmark or ''Danske Folkekirke'' which first admitted women priests in 1947. Owing to the difficulties arising from the Second World War, she was unable to work in Southern Jutland but returned to Valsbøl after the hostilities had ended. In 1948, when the Church of Denmark appointed a Danish priest in Valsbøl, Sørensen returned to Vilstrup. In 1952, she was honoured with the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

. Maren Sørensen died in Haderslev on 4 July 1957 and is buried in Lønborg Cemetery near

Tarm Tarm is a small railway town with a population of 4,010 (1 January 2022)1882 births 1957 deaths People from Varde Municipality Danish Lutheran clergy Women Lutheran clergy Danish nurses Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog