125 year of St Olaf's Church
(From The Orcadian dated July 26, 2001)

St Olaf's Episcopal Church in Kirkwall is celebrating its 125th anniversary this weekend - with a chance to see an unpublished poem by the late George Mackay Brown.

The programme of events in St Olaf's begins tomorrow, Friday, with a concert by local artists at 7.30pm. The next day the church is open from 10am to 4pm for the public to view flowers and treasures, vestments, books and the unpublished poem. Tea, coffee and biscuits will also be available.

Finally, on Sunday, there will be a Holy Communion at 11.30am, a buffet lunch in the Royal British Legion at 1.30pm and, at 3.30pm, songs of praise.

A leaflet has been printed for the occasion, which details the history of St Olaf, much of which was written by Dr Olaf Cuthbert.

He states: "Olaf Haraldson, born about the year 950 AD, started life as a marauding Viking at the age of 12, taking part in attacks on France, Frisia and England, the latter including the pulling down of London Bridge (London Bridge is falling down). Being strong and well-built he became known as 'Olaf the Thick' (which was no reflection on his intellectual capacity)."

According to Dr Cuthbert, in 1013, during a raid on Normandy, he became converted to Christianity.

"Returning to Norway in 1014, he seized the throne and continued the conversion of the country started by his predecessor Olaf Tryggvason," Dr Cuthbert states.

"It has been suggested that many of his conversions were carried out by threats but, if true, he was not unique in this respect as most powerful leaders of those times felt constrained to ensure their followers conformed to their own belief in order to avoid controversy. He was successful in firmly establishing the church in Norway."

In 1028 a rebellion, fermented by the Danes, caused Olaf to flee to Russia, but two years later he returned in an attempt to regain the crown. He was defeated and slain at the Battle of Stiklestad.

"Within two years of his death he was regarded as a national hero and adopted as the patron saint of Norway," Dr Cuthbert explained.

The first church to be dedicated to St Olaf was built in the 9th century by Earl Rognvald Brusison in the settlement now known as Kirkwall. It was to this church that the remains of St Magnus were removed while awaiting their final resting place in St Magnus Cathedral.

All that remains of that early church is an archway in St Olaf's Wynd and the stone credence and aumbry which were placed in the present St Olaf's Church.

Dr Cuthbert says: "For many years after the Reformation in Scotland and even more so following the revolution of 1688, members of the Episcopal Church found many obstacles put in the way of their holding divine service.

"However, in 1871 an Episcopal congregation was restored under the Very Rev F. P. Flemyng and services were held in a variety of locations. In July, 1874 Bishop Suthers of Aberdeen and Orkney visited the congregation and held a confirmation service and on November 21 the foundation stone of a new church was laid by Co. F. W. Burroughs. On the July 29, 1876 Bishop Suthers opened the church and dedicated it to St Olaf."

The first holder of office was the Rev J. B. Craven, Archdeacon of Orkney who held the post for 39 years. The last to serve at St Olaf's was Rev John Morson, who was inducted on St Cuthbert's Day, 1992. He retired in January, this year and moved to join his wife, Eleanor, who is minister at St Mark's, Portobello in Edinburgh. A vacancy now exists at St Olaf's.