Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland

Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland Nord-Hålogaland bispedomme
View of the Tromsø Cathedral
Location
Country	Norway
Territory	Troms and Finnmark
Deaneries	Tromsø domprosti, Alta, Hammerfest, Indre Finnmark, Indre Troms, Nord-Troms, Senja, Trondenes, Varanger
Statistics
Parishes	66
Members	190,926
Information
Denomination	Church of Norway
Established	1952
Cathedral	Tromsø Cathedral
Current leadership
Bishop	Olav Øygard
Map
Location of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland
Website
http://www.kirken.no/nord-haalogaland
Reference[1]

Nord-Hålogaland (Norwegian: Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers the Church of Norway churches in Troms and Finnmark counties as well as in the territory of Svalbard. The diocese is seated in the city of Tromsø at the Tromsø Cathedral, the seat of the presiding bishop, Olav Øygard (bishop since 2014).^[2]

History

Originally, this area was a part of the great Diocese of Nidaros, which covered all of Northern Norway from Romsdalen and north (Finnmark, Troms, and Nordland counties). On 30 December 1803, the King of Norway named Peder Olivarius Bugge the "Bishop of Trondheim and Romsdal" and also named Mathias Bonsach Krogh the "Bishop of Nordland and Finnmark", thus essentially splitting the diocese into two starting in 1804, although legally it was one diocese with two bishops. The newly appointed Bishop Krogh (in 1804) made Alstahaug Church the seat of his bishopric in the north, while Bishop Bugge stayed in Trondheim. The new diocese was legally created on 14 June 1844 as Tromsø stift and it was to be seated in the city of Tromsø. The new Tromsø Cathedral was completed in 1864. The name of the diocese was changed to Hålogaland bispedømme in 1918. When Svalbard became part of Norway in 1920, it also became a part of this diocese. In 1952, the Diocese of Hålogaland was split into two: the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland (Nordland county) and the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland (Troms, Finnmark, and Svalbard).

Bishops

The Bishops of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland since its creation in 1952 when it was split off from the Diocese of Hålogaland:

• 1952-1961: Alf Wiig
• 1962-1972: Monrad Norderval
• 1972-1979: Kristen Kyrre Bremer
• 1979-1990: Arvid Nergård
• 1990-2001: Ola Steinholt
• 2002-2014: Per Oskar Kjølaas
• Since 2014: Olav Øygard

Cathedral

Construction of the new Tromsø Cathedral began in 1861. It was designed by architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The cathedral was built of wood in Neo-Gothic style. The interior is dominated by the altar, a copy of the Resurrection by Adolph Tidemand.^[3]

Structure

The Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland is divided into nine deaneries (Norwegian: prosti). Each one corresponds to several municipalities in the diocese. Each municipality is further divided into one or more parishes which each contain one or more congregations. See each municipality below for lists of churches and parishes within them.

Media gallery

• 
  Interior
  Tromsø Cathedral
• 
  Side entrance
  Tromsø Cathedral
• 
  Front
  Tromsø Cathedral

References

External links

• Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland website
• Tromsø Cathedral picture gallery

69°36′N 19°30′E / 69.6°N 19.5°E / 69.6; 19.5