W Denmark begins the Year of St. Ansgar, besides called Oskar. It commemorates the 1200th anniversary of the arrival of the apostle of Scandinavia to this country.
Benedictine monk Ansgar from northern France arrived in 826 in Denmark with his spiritual brother Autbert on a Christianization mission. He baptized King Harald there as the first Scandinavian ruler. Missionary activity was then conducted in Sweden. In 831 he became bishop of Hamburg, and in 845 – Bremen, where he continued to effort to evangelize Denmark and Sweden. He died in 865 at the age of 64.
For the Year of St. Ansgar there are many Catholic and simple-stant initiatives throughout Denmark. Celebration will begin with ecumenical vespers on Saturday 24 January at the Lutheran Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Copenhagen. They will be co-chaired by cardinals. Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See and Lutheran bishop of the capital of Denmark Peter Skov-Jakobsen. On Sunday, January 25, Card. Parolin will execute the pontifical Mass at the Catholic Cathedral of St Ansgar in Copenhagen.
An ecumenical service was scheduled for Easter Monday on 6 April and a pilgrimage to St Ansgar in October.
Source: KAI
Scandinavia: an expanding interest in the Catholic Church. advanced number of conversions and baptisms
