Reflection for 3rd Sunday of Lent John 4;5-42 and Revelation 7;17ff. Few of us will experience chronic physical thirst. We only see at times of earthquakes, wars and famines, our fellow human beings gasping for water in a way that was a common experience in earlier ages when water could be a rare commodity. The …
Reflection for 2nd Sunday of Lent John 3;1-17 and Matthew 15;21-28 March arrives and the beginning of a new spring. Blossom is about to appear with spring flowers and the sound of garden machinery. Yet last year was not easy with heat and lack of water, pests and diseases, but most gardeners, hoping for a …
Reflection for Lent Matthew 6;19–21 Lent is our opportunity to renew our lives, starting with an inner transformation, or in traditional language – our souls.Lent invites us to self examination, to see where our treasure really lies. Our Lord firmly teaches “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy …
During the weekend of February 10-12th, the International Theological Conference of the Union of Scranton convened in Mainz for the second time hosted by the Nordic Catholic Church in Germany. The theme was “God be in my thinking – The intellectual background of the secularization”, following up on the proceedings from the conference in 2020. …
Reflection for Quinquagesima Sunday Luke 8;31-43 and Matthew 17;1-9 We sense today the sadness and uncertainty of many ordinary Christians who seem to be vaguely aware that their faith is marginalized and that almost everything is so human focused that a blindness exists about the deep Judeo/Christian tradition and collective wisdom upon which we once …
Reflection for Sexagesima Sunday Luke 8;4-15 and Matthew 6;25-34 The pre-Lent season is a conditioning time for Christians. It is preparing hearts and understanding as Thomas Aquinas said: to receive the unique mind of Christ. This is exactly the purpose of the parable of the Sower given to the disciples by Christ, teaching that he …
Reflection for Septuagesima Sunday Matthew 20;1–6 and Matthew 5;13–20. This reflection was provoked by a message from my National Health Service. “Take care of your mental health with free therapy.” Mindfulness and mental health are a preoccupation today along with keeping exercised and eating the right food! Important as these are, it no longer recognises …
Blessed are those who thirst for righteousness Matthew 5;6 Reflections at the end of January The atmosphere of Christian worship changes from January to February. It begins with the feast of “Candlemas” or the Meeting of the holy family and the child Jesus with Simeon and Anna in the Temple is one of the most …
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity John 17;20-23 Does Christian Unity matter? It was William Temple, one of the more helpful Archbishop’s of Canterbury who said, “I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and regret that it does not exist.” If the Christian faith is about wholeness, about breaking down barriers, about …
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord John 1;29-34 Psalm 42 speaks of a soul thirsting for God which may help our thinking as we journey with the themes of the Epiphany season. Very few people have ever experienced real thirst, but our ancestors certainly did not take water for granted. This year however, …
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord John 1;1-14 Epiphany is one liturgical drama. It begins with the Lord’s birth, but is followed by unique revelations step by step, until Lent. No single part of the drama can embrace the full truth of the proclamation that God had become man – that light had entered …
The Holy name of Jesus Luke 2;15-21 One of the great moments for a parent is the choosing of names for our children, frequently before they are born. Having chosen the name of each child we watch the name and personality become intertwined. Then one of the great gifts the child can do is to …
Bishop Roald Nikolai Flemestad remains Bishop Delegate of the Union of Scranton for Europe also after the transfer of the Nordic Catholic Diocese of Scandinavia to his successor Bishop Ottar Mikael Myrseth. He will then continue to give episcopal oversight to the work and mission of the Nordic Catholic Church in Continental Europe and the United Kingdom.
The Bishop's Seal and Motto
Per timorem Domini et
sancti Spiritus consolationem.
The Bishop's Calendar
15 January
Annual Member Meeting, Martinuswerk (Germany), video conference.
9-12 February
Theological conference of the Union of Scranton: "God be in my thinking - The intellectual background of the secularization", Mainz, Germany.
18 February
Clergy meeting of the Nordic Catholic Church in Scandinavia, Oslo.
24 April
The International Catholic Bishops Conference (ICBC), video conference.
12-14 May
Altar blessing and celebrations, St. Vincent of Lérins mission, Rožňava, Slovakia.
3-5 August
Theological Conference at Gran, Norway.
5-6 August
20th Anniversary Celebration of St. Michael's Church, Fredrikstad.
17-20 August
Celebration to mark the retirement of Bishop Emeritus Roald Nikolai by the German Adinistration, hosted by the Abbey of St. Severin, Kaufbeuren, .
Upcoming
An episcopal visit is planned to take place in the UK in October.
Ongoing
Scheduled video conferences with the local administrations.