Next Sunday, on July 26 we celebrate the 91 years anniversary of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik.
Mass at 8.30 am in Polish, Mass at 10.30 pm in Icelandic, Mass at 1 pm in Polish, Rosary in English at 5.30 pm, Mass at 6 pm in English
The history of the Catholic Church in Reykjavík can be traced back to 1860 when two French priests bought the land Landakot, where they built a small chapel. It was later replaced by a timber church, which was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
After the First World War, priests of the Montfort order, which took over the mission in Iceland in 1903, began drafting a new church building. Various drawings were made, but finally it was decided to construct a church in a neo-Gothic style. The cornerstone was laid in 1927. In 1929 the church was completed.
The Icelandic architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, was commissioned to design the church. He merged Gothic style with Icelandic characteristics, which can be distinguished in the outer bearings of the church, similar to basalt columns. Jens Eyjólfsson constructed the church. He changed the original plan to some extent, for example, the spire on the tower of the church was not erected. For a long time, the Cathedral of Christ the king was the largest church in Iceland.
On July 23, 1929, the Church was consecrated by a special envoy of Pius XI, William Cardinal van Rossum CssR, head of the Mission of „Propaganda Fide“ in the Holy See.
The cathedral bears the name of Christ the King in honor of Christ, the Lord of the Universe. The Church is under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God, Saint Joseph, and two Icelandic saints: St. Jón Ögmundsson and St. Thorlákur Þórhallsson. The three church bells are dedicated to Christ the King, the Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph.