St. Olav's Cathedral () is the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo The Diocese of Oslo () is an Exemption (church), exempt Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Oslo in Norway. Parishes The territory is divided into 25 parishes, located in the following sites: Oslo (3), Moss, Nor ...

and the parish church of St. Olav's parish in

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 ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. The cathedral has church services and masses in Norwegian and several other languages, including English and Polish.

History

At the time of construction, this church, being built at

Hammersborg St. Hanshaugen (Norwegian for St. John's Hill) is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. Area It has a triangular shape, with its northern border just north of the buildings of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Ullevål University Hosp ...

, near the graveyard of Our Saviour (), was located in the countryside outside the then city of Oslo. The work was funded by private donations and fundraising abroad, the most generous individual donor being Queen Josephine, who was a Catholic herself. The first mass of the church was celebrated on 24 August 1856, but as there was no Roman Catholic bishop in the country, the church was not

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

until 8 August 1896. A

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

, reportedly a bone from St. Olav's arm, has been placed in a showcase since the 1860s. When the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo was established in 1953, St. Olav's was chosen as the episcopal seat and was elevated to the rank of cathedral. It is the second Catholic cathedral in Oslo. St. Olav's Cathedral was visited by Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

when he visited the

Scandinavian countries Scandinavia is a subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also refer to the Scan ...

in 1989.Johannes Paul II - Pilegrimspaven og menneskefiskeren
www.katolsk.no - Website of the Roman Catholic Church in Norway Oslo StOlavCatedral02

References

External links

Katolsk.no website Cathedral

(in English)
Timetable for Catholic Masses - all languages
(in English) {{Commons category, St. Olav domkirke, Oslo, St. Olav's Cathedral, Oslo Churches in Oslo St. Olav's Cathedral in Oslo Roman Catholic cathedrals in Norway Olav Churches completed in 1856

History

See also

References

External links