St. Olav's Cathedral

Oslo, Norway

St. Olav's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo. At the time of construction, this church, being built at Hammersborg, 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 August 24th, 1856, but as there was no Roman Catholic bishop in the country, the church was not consecrated until August 8th, 1896. 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. The St. Olav's Cathedral was visited by Pope John Paul II when he visited the Scandinavian countries in 1989.

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Address

Akersveien 1, Oslo, Norway
See all sites in Oslo

Details

Founded: 1896
Category: Religious sites in Norway

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

SS LEE (sslee1982) (2 years ago)
It's calm and peaceful cathedral. I visited here on 29/07/23.
Tree Wise Tree Surgeons (2 years ago)
Beautiful interior and English mass. Excellent stained glass windows and a welcoming and diverse congregation.
J Ferreira (2 years ago)
Lovely Catholic Church. Was fairly close - walking distance to where ai was staying, so quite convenient to walk there. Was able to attend the 9am English-speaking Mass on Sunday. It's quite amazing to be able to attend any Mass at any Catholic church around the world and to know exactly what the celebration and service is all about. Masses are offered in many different languages. The schedule was readily available online. The front door was locked but the signage was easy to read directing you to the opened side entrance. The church was thankfully warm and attended by families and participants of all ethnicities and backgrounds. I'm happy I was able to attend.
Richi Paramo (2 years ago)
Very peaceful and holy place.. amazing to attend Mass or Service. Religious Art is something to watch and visit too! Totally recommend!
Alexandra Dumitru (3 years ago)
Nice build close to the city center
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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

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