Jón Ögmundsson, St.

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JÓN ÖGMUNDSSON, ST.

Also known as Ogmund; first bishop of Hólar, Iceland; b. Breidabolsstadur, 1052; d. April 23, 1121. He went abroad, perhaps as far as Rome, and brought back Saemund the Learned, founder of the famous Icelandic school at Oddi. Jón was priest of Breidabolsstadur when the decision was made to divide Iceland into two dioceses. He built a new church at Hólar and started a school there for future priests. Jón has left a permanent mark on the Icelandic language, as he was responsible for renaming the days of the week to remove their pagan associations. He was canonized in 1201, and devotion to him has survived in Iceland to the present day.

Feast: March 8.

Bibliography: Byskupa sögur, 3 v. (Reykjavík 1948; reprint 1953). Origines Islandicae, ed. and tr. g. vigfÚsson and f. y. powell, 2 v. (Oxford 1905). j. helgason, "Jón Ögmundsson ,"Norvegia sacra, 5 (1925) 134. j. c. f. hood, Icelandic Church Saga (London 1946). e. kristjÁn, Um Hóladómkirkju (Hólar 1993).

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