Saint Olaf, who rose to become the most powerful Norwegian king of his time, sought to rule not for himself but for the glory of Christ.
After the Protestant Reformation and the contemporary secularization of Norwegian society and Europe more broadly, remembering the courageous example of Saint Olaf can serve as an example to Catholics of all nations.
Here are nine things to know about Saint Olaf:
1) Saint Olaf was born in 995, the son of a petty king in Eastern Norway.
2) He spent his teenage years as a Viking, taking part in raids against the English, before being baptized in Normandy in 1014.
3) He became king in 1015 and sought to unify and Christianize his kingdom, bringing over English missionaries led by Bishop Grimkjell.
4) In 1024, he established Norway’s first Christian code of law. The earliest extant codex of the law code from the 13th century reads:
“Foremost in our laws is this: we are to bow towards the East and pray to Christ, the holy one.”
5) After being exiled from his kingdom, Saint Olaf would return in 1030 and be martyred at the Battle of Stiklestad, his last words being “God help me.”
6) After his death, his blood healed the wound of one of his killers and later restored the sight to a blind man.
7) A year after his death, his body was exhumed by Bishop Grimkjell and showed signs of incorruption. Olaf was shortly thereafter canonized.
8) Nidaros Cathedral, the northernmost of the great medieval cathedral, was built over Saint Olaf’s burial site.
9) Along with being the patron of Norway, Saint Olaf is also the patron of the Faroe Islands, carvers, and difficult marriages.
Prayer for the intercession of Saint Olaf:
Almighty, eternal God, you are the crown of kings and the triumph of martyrs. We know that your blessed martyr, Olaf, intercedes for us before your face. We praise your greatness in his death and we pray you, give us the crown of life that you have promised those who love you, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.