Selja is a small island in

Stad Municipality Stad is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The municipality includes much of the northern shore of the Nordfjorden as well as the Stad peninsula. The administrative centre of the ...

Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It was the original Catholic bishopric in Norway ( la, Selia; now a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

) which later became the pre-Reformation Ancient Diocese of Bergen (Bjørgvin). It has been formerly known as ''Sellø'' or ''Selø''. The island is located in the Sildagapet bay, just west of the harbor in the village of Selje. The sparsely populated island has about 5 permanent residents who commute by boat to the mainland since the island is not accessible by road. The painter Bernt Tunold grew up on the island, where his parents had established a farm on the church grounds.

Ecclesiastical history

The island is mainly known for its connection to

Saint Sunniva Saint Sunniva (10th century; Old Norse ''Sunnifa'', from Old English ''Sunngifu'') is the patron saint of the Norwegian Church of Norway Diocese of Bjørgvin, as well as all of Western Norway. Sunniva was venerated alongside her brother Alban, w ...

, who, according to legend, landed and died there in the late 10th century and remains

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of the Diocese of Bergen. The discovery at Selo in 996 of the supposed remains of Sunniva and her companions led Norwegian King

Olaf Tryggvason Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken ( Vingulmark, and Rånrike), and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of N ...

(995-1000) to build a church there. Today, the ruins of a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

named ''"Sankta Sunniva kloster"'' (

Selje Abbey Selja Abbey (''Selja kloster'') was a Benedictine monastery located on the island of Selja in the municipality of Stad, Vestland, Norway. The island of Selja, which has been formerly known as Sellø or Selø, is located 15 minutes by boat fro ...

) is the only notable feature on the island. The cave of Saint Sunniva and the ruins of an early (and very small) cathedral are also located on the island. The cathedral was the episcopal see of a Catholic Bishopric, the Diocese of Selja (Latin: Selia), the predecessor of the Ancient Diocese of Bergen, a suffragan of the German (Upper Saxon) Archbishopric of Bremen, established with the monastery circa 1060 by King Olaf Kyrre. Its physical see was soon moved to Bjørgvin (Bergen), but it would take a few more bishops until that name supplanted Selja's.

Residential Suffragan bishops of Selja

* Bjarnvard (Bernard the Saxon) since 106O?7, Bishop of Selja till his death (1066?67) * Svein, Bishop of Selja, first also known as Bishop of Bjørgvin (Bergen) * (1115), (1128) : Magnus, Bishop of Selja * (1135) : Ottar Islänning, Bishop of Selja * 1156/57-1160 : Paal, Bishop of Selja * 1160 - 1170 (1194) : Nikolas Petersson of Sogn, 'last' Bishop of Selja, 'first' only known as Bishop of Bergen (Bjørgvin) after 1170

Titular see

The diocese, whose successor Bergen was suppressed in 1537 due to Denmark-Norway's Lutheran Reformation, was nominally restored in 1033 as Latin Catholic

Titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

of Selja (in Latin and Curiate Italian; Latin adjective Selien(sis)) and renamed Selia in Latin in 1971 (still Selja in Italian).http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t1565.htm GCatholic It has had the following incumbents, so far all of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank : * Olaf Offerdahl (1930.03.13 – death 1930.10.07) as

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...

(

, Selja's home country) (1930.03.13 – 1930.10.07), previously

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

of the same vicariate (1928.10.11 – 1930.03.13) * Jacques Mangers,

Marists The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM, commonly known as the Marist Fathers, is a men's Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right. It was founded by Jean-Claude Colin and a group of seminarians in ...

S.M. (1932.07.12 – 1953.06.29) as first Apostolic Vicar of

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

(previously called 'of Norway', see above) (1932.07.12 – 1953.06.29), promoted first Exempt Bishop of

(Norway) (1953.06.29 – 1964.11.25), emeritate as Titular Bishop of

Afufenia Afufenia (also called ''Afufeniensis'') was a Roman era city in the province of Byzacena. Its exact location is unknown, but it would have been situated in central Tunisia. Afufenia was also the seat of an ancient Catholic bishopric. and was me ...

(1964.11.25 – death 1972.01.07) * Claude Dupuy (1955.03.07 – 1961.12.04) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

(primatial see in France) (1955.03.07 – 1961.12.04); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...

(France) (1961.12.04 – retired 1974.06.15); died 1989 * Eduard Macheiner (1963.03.01 – 1969.10.09) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

(primatial see of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

) (1963.03.01 – 1969.10.09), later succeeded as Metropolitan Archbishop of Salzburg (Austria) ( 969.10.091969.10.18 – death 1972.07.17) * Salvador Lazo Lazo (1969.12.01 – 1981.01.20) first as Auxiliary Bishop of

Tuguegarao Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao ( ibg, Siyudad nat Tugegaraw; itv, Siyudad yo Tugegaraw; ilo, Siudad ti Tuguegarao; fil, Lungsod ng Tuguegarao ), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, Phil ...

(

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

) (1969.12.01 – 1977.08.03), then as Auxiliary Bishop of Nueva Segovia (Philippines) (1977.08.03 – 1981.01.20); later Bishop of San Fernando de La Union (Philippines) (1981.01.20 – retired 1993.05.28), died 2000 * Ângelo Domingos Salvador,

Capuchin Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

(O.F.M. Cap.) (1981.03.16 – 1986.05.16) as Auxiliary Bishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1981.03.16 – 1986.05.16); later

Bishop-Prelate In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

of Coxim (

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) (1986.05.16 – 1991.07.17), Bishop of Cachoeira do Sul (Brazil) (1991.07.17 – 1999.05.26), Bishop of

Uruguaiana Uruguaiana is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located on the eastern shore of the Uruguay River bordering Argentina. Opposite to Uruguaiana, and joined to it by a road/railway bridge, lies the Argentine city of P ...

(Brazil) (1999.05.26 – retired 2007.06.27) * Eurico dos Santos Veloso (1987.03.12 – 1991.05.22) as Auxiliary Bishop of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) (1987.03.12 – 1991.05.22); later Coadjutor Bishop of

Luz Luz ( ''Lūz'') is the name of two places in the Bible. Mentioned in Genesis Luz is the ancient name of a royal Canaanite city, connected with Bethel (Genesis 28:19; 35:6). It is debated among scholarsRashi on 28:17 whether Luz and Bethel repres ...

(Brazil) (1991.05.22 – 1994.05.18), Bishop of above Luz (1994.05.18 – 2001.11.28), Metropolitan Archbishop of above Juiz de For) (2001.11.28 – retired 2009.01.28) * Pero Sudar (1993.05.28 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna (Sarajevo,

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

)

Media gallery

File:Selje klosterruiner.jpg, View of the Church ruins on the island File:Selje_kloster_alter_Albanuskirken.jpg, Altar in the Albanus Church in the Abbey File:Selje_kloster_smia.jpg, The forge at the abbey File: Selje_kloster_terrassemur_foran_Sunnivakirken.jpg, A wall in front of the Sunniva Church File:Selje_kloster_alter_Mikaelskirken.jpg, Altar in the Mikaels Church in the Abbey File:Selje_kloster_helleren_foran_Mikaelskirken.jpg, Cliff at the entrance to the Mikaels Church File:Selje_kloster_ Sunnivakilden.jpg, Well at Sunniva Church File:Selje_kloster_runestein_i_tårnet.jpg, Runestone in the abbey tower File:Selje_kloster_kirkegården.jpg, Church yard

References

External links