| St. Thorlak Church | |
|---|---|
| Kirkja St. Þorlák | |
 St. Þorlákskirkja in Reyðarfjörður | |
| 65°02′16″N 14°13′55″W / 65.037886°N 14.231973°W / 65.037886; -14.231973 | |
| Location | Reyðarfjörður |
| Country | Iceland |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
The St. Thorlak Church (Icelandic: Kirkja St. Þorlák) is a Catholic church in Kapúsínaklaustrið á Kollaleiru, in the town of Reyðarfjörður, Austurland, Iceland. The church is in the Diocese of Reykjavík.
The wooden bones of the church were built in Slovakia, then disassembled and shipped to Iceland. Local bishop (also from Slovakia) called for the help of volunteers in Hriňová. The church was built and then assembled in Reyðarfjörður by the help of volunteers and their donations of the material as well. Slovaks, Poles and others working in Iceland volunteered their weekends to construct the church in place.
Namesake
The church was dedicated to Torlak Torhallsson known in the church as Saint Thorlak (Icelandic: Þorlák), an Icelandic Catholic religious who founded the first Augustinian monastery in Iceland. His relics in the church of Skálholt were looted during the Protestant Reformation. His status as the patron saint of Iceland was recognized by Pope John Paul II in 1984, almost 800 years after his death.
See also
References
- Church of St. Thorlak Reyðarfirði, Iceland
- "This beautiful church was a gift from Slovakia to Icelandic Catholics". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- "Hriňovský Kostolík Na Islande". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- "ST. THORLAK—1133-1193". www.ewtn.com. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
- "ST. THORLAK OF ICELAND :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
