Today is the feast of Saint Thorlak Thorhallsson (Þorlákur Þórhallsson in Icelandic), the national patron of Iceland. This I know thanks to a lovely tribute to him on the CNA site, an AI summary of which is below.
Sadly, there are relatively few Catholics in this country that was stolen from the Mystical Body by the Lutheran heresy. Here are some quick facts on Icelandic Catholicism from Wikipedia:
As of 2022, there are 14,723 Catholics in Iceland, with 6 diocesan priests, 9 religious order priests, and 38 sisters in religious orders. Catholics represent 3.91% of the Icelandic population and are growing in number rapidly. The Diocese of Reykjavík covers the whole of Iceland. The diocese has a cathedral, Christ the King Cathedral (Dómkirkja Krists Konungs) in Reykjavík, and a number of smaller churches and chapels in the larger towns around the country.
An interesting coincidence is that Saint Thorlak shares a feast day with Saint Yvo of Chartres, and both of them lived the Augustinian Rule.
Through the intercession of Saint Thorlak, may the Church grow and proper in Iceland. Meantime, here are some facts about him.
Iceland celebrates its national patron, St. Thorlak Thorhallsson, on Dec. 23, a tradition tied to his feast day and final preparations for Christmas.
Declared a saint by Iceland’s national assembly in 1198, his canonization was officially recognized by Pope John Paul II in 1984, naming him Iceland’s patron.
Born in 1133, St. Thorlak lived during Iceland’s early Catholic era, following its dramatic conversion from paganism in the late 10th century.
The Church in Iceland faced challenges during his time, including clerical corruption and disregard for clerical celibacy.
Despite his humble farming background, Thorlak’s talents led to early ordination as a priest at 18 and studies in France and England, where he embraced the Augustinian monastic rule.
Returning to Iceland, he founded a monastery renowned for prayer and study and resisted pressures to marry, committing to celibacy and reform.
Appointed bishop of Skalholt in 1178, he implemented Pope Gregory VII’s reforms, promoting clerical discipline, Church independence from temporal authority, and public morality.
Thorlak died on Dec. 23, 1193, and became Iceland’s most beloved saint, with over 50 churches dedicated to him before the Reformation.
Today, Icelanders honor his feast with customs like gathering to eat cured fish, preserving his legacy.
Saint Thorlak of Iceland, image courtesy of SanctifiedSouls.
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