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About the Cathedral

The cathedral was consecrated on the 23rd July 1929 by Pope Pius XIs special envoy, Cardinal van Rossum. The Church is dedicated to Jesus Christ, eternal God and King and bears the name CHRIST THE KING in honour of Christs Lordship of the Universe. This feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The church is under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God, Saint Joseph, Saint Thorlac and Jón Ögmundarson. The three bells are dedicated to Christ the King, Our Lady and Saint Joseph.

Pope Pius XI gave several gifts to the cathedral, including the statue of Christ standing on the world, which is located above the high altar. This statue is carved from cedar and is unique because the artist, named Campanya from Barcelona, gave instructions that no copies were to be made.

In the aisle on the left hand side as one enters the nave, can be seen a statue of the patron saint of Iceland, St. Thorlac, 1133 - 1193. He was canonized locally in 1198. On the 14th of January 1984, Pope John Paul II declared Thorlac to be Icelands patron. This statue was blessed on the 20th of July 1995, which is his summer feast day. On this date in 1198 his relics were enshrined in the cathedral at Skáholt. The shrine was destroyed during the Reformation. He is honoured both on the 20th of July and the 23rd of December.

The Stations of the Cross were given to the church in 1976 by Dr. Rudolf Graber, bishop of Regensburg, Germany. They were painted in Bavaria about 100 years ago.

On the left of the sanctuary can be seen an Icelandic medieval wooden statue of the Holy Mother and Child. It is believed to be from the 14th century and was donated to the Catholic Church in 1926. When Pope John Paul II visited Iceland in 1989, he crowned the statue.

All the three altars in the cathedral had been in the old church which was dedicated in 1897. The crucifix and the bishops chair were carved by the Icelandic artist Ríkhardur Jónsson.

Outside the cathedral is a bust of Bishop Meulenberg, 1872 - 1941, who was responsible for the building of the cathedral.
On the left hand side, as one approaches the Cathedral, can be seen a monument to the work of the Order of Saint Joseph's Sisters of Chambéry, for the Sick and Children, in Iceland. It was unveiled on the 17 September 2000. The title is "Köllun" which can be translated as "Calling"or "Vocation". The Saint Joseph Sisters ran schools and hospitals. They worked in Iceland for over a hundred years, but they finally left the country in 2001.

Saint Thorlac Patron Saint of Iceland 1133 - 1193

Statue of Saint Thorlac,
Patron Saint of Iceland,
located in Christ the King Cathedral, Reykjavik

Saint Thorlac was born in the south of Iceland in 1133. His parents were quite poor. They lost their farm and the family broke up while he was still a boy. Thorlac had two sisters. Before he was 20 Thorlac became a priest. For a few years he served as a parish priest and is said to have been very conscious of his duties. He managed to save some money in order to study abroad. He was 6 years in Paris, France and then some time in Lincoln, England.

When he returned to Iceland he spent some time at Kirkjubaer in the south-east of Iceland. He supported his mother and sisters. He loved kirkjubaer very much and later as bishop, he established the first nunnery in Iceland at this place.

When Thorlac had spent 6 years at Kirkjubaer, the first Augustinian Canonry in Iceland was founded at Thykkvibaer. Thorlac became the first Abbot. He seems to have regulated the Augustinian Rule in Iceland.

Some years later Thorlac was elected Bishop of Skálholt. He was consecrated bishop in Norway on the 2nd July 1178. He was Bishop of Skálholt for 15 years, until his death in 1193, aged 60.

Thorlac worked hard to reform the Nation and to strengthen the Church. This proved to be a tremendous undertaking. Although not always successful, he did pave the way for future improvements.

Thorlac lived a holy life and after his death hundreds of miracles were attributed to his intercession. He was canonized locally in 1198 and on the 14th of January 1984, the Holy Father, John Paul II, declared Thorlac to be the Patron Saint of Iceland. Thorlac has 2 feast days, 20th July and 23rd December.