Bodø Cathedral

Bodø Cathedral (Norwegian: Bodø domkirke) is a cathedral in the municipality of Bodø in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Bodø. The church is part of the Bodø parish in the Bodø deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The cathedral is also the seat of the Bishop of Sør-Hålogaland, currently Tor Berger Jørgensen since 2007.

History

The old church in Bodø was destroyed on 27 May 1940 when the whole city center of Bodø was bombed during World War II. In 1946, an architectural competition was held for the construction of a new church in Bodø. The architects Gudolf Blakstad and Herman Munthe-Kaas won that competition. The foundation stone was laid in 1954 and the new church was consecrated by Bishop Wollert Krohn-Hansen in 1956. By the time it was completed, it became the new cathedral for the new Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Bodø Cathedral is built of concrete and has a basilica design. The church has an outer sculpture depicting Petter Dass made by Kristoffer Leirdal. Over the altar in the east wall, there is a 12-metre (39 ft) high stained glass. It is designed by Åge Storstein and constructed by Borgar Hauglid. The church has a 36-metre (118 ft) tall independent clock tower that contains three bells. There is also a memorial to those who died from Bodø during the Second World War. The memorial says «Til de fra Bodø som gav sitt liv for Norge under krig og okkupasjon 1940 – 1945. Ingen nevnt, ingen glemt» which means "To those from Bodø who gave their lives for Norway during the war and occupation 1940-1945. Not named, not forgotten."^[1]

Picture gallery

See also

• List of churches in Nordland
• List of cathedrals in Norway

References