Vega Church


Vega Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Vega Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gladstad on the island of Vega in the Vegaøyan archipelago. It is the main church for the Vega parish which is part of the Sør-Helgeland prosti in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1864 to replace an older church. The building was consecrated on 14 July 1864 by the Bishop Carl Peter Parelius Essendrop. The church seats about 430 people.

History

The first church on Vega was a log building that was built sometime before 1589. A second church was built in 1734 to replace the older church. In 1856-1857 a new church building was constructed. Unfortunately, in January 1858, a huge storm blew through and destroyed the church. A new church was begun soon after. The present church building was completed in late 1863 and it was consecrated the following summer. The present church sits slightly north of the old church site.