BL. JON HELGI ÖGMUNDARSON, BISHOP - 23 APRIL

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL

Saints celebrated on the 23rd of April

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BL. JON HELGI ÖGMUNDARSON, BISHOP OF HOLAR

Blessed Jon Helgi Ögmundarson was born in 1052. He was an Icelandic bishop and local Icelandic saint. 

THE NEW DIOCESE

In 1106, the second Icelandic diocese, Hólar, was created in the north of Iceland. Bl. Jon was appointed its first bishop. He served as bishop there until his holy death, which occurred on April 23, 1121.

His successor was Ketill Þorsteinsson (1122 to 1145), followed by Björn Gilsson (1147 to 1162) and Brandur Sæmundsson (1163 to 1201). Gudmundur Arason was also a Bishop of Hólar.

He is also commemorated on March 3. Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858, writes of him: Jonas Ogmundus, (March 3), the first bishop of Halar (Hola) in Iceland, died in the year 1121. His third successor on the episcopal chair considered him a saintly man and fixed his feast on this day. There is no other evidence about him.

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Jon Helgi, your blessed bishop, may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

➡️ Ogmundus, Bishop of Halar