Astrid Sonja Bjellebø Bayegan (born 22 February 1943) became the first female dean in Norway when she was appointed to head the provostship of

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such ...

on 28 May 1989. She was ordained in 1975 by Bishop Georg Hille in

Hamar Cathedral Hamar Cathedral () is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Hamar within the Church of Norway. The cathedral is located in the town of Hamar which is in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is one of the churches for the Hamar parish ...

. She served as a hospital priest in the Aker district of

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

(1975–1984) and in Blakstad (1984–1989). From 1989 until her retirement in 2008, she was the dean in

as well as vicar of Bragernes. Born in

Fjelberg Fjelberg is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 1965 when it was dissolved. In 1965, the municipality covered , mostly islands and a small area on the mainland. It encompassed par ...

on 22 February 1943, Astrid Sonja Bjellebø is the daughter of Samson Bjellebø (1909–1997) and Else Aksdal (1917–1999). She attended high school in

Bryne Bryne (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Time, Norway, Time municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality of Time and it is also List of urban areas in Norway by population ...

, spent a year in Scotland, and later moved with her family to

Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...

. She studied theology at the MF Norwegian School of Theology where she graduated as Cand.theol. in 1972, before taking the practical theological examination at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

in 1973. In 1972, Bayegan had already begun to work at the hospital in Aker as a theologian. Following her ordination in 1975, she continued there as the hospital's priest until 1984 when she moved to the hospital in Blakstad. On 28 May 1989, she was appointed dean of Drammen's provostship, the first woman in Norway to receive the title of ''prost'' or dean. Astrid Bjellebø Bayegan is married to the Iranian-born Hedayat Markus Bayegan, a retired scientist, and has four daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayegan, Astrid Bjellebo 1943 births Living people People from Hordaland People from Drammen 20th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy Women Lutheran clergy University of Oslo alumni MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society alumni 21st-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy