Olaf Offerdahl

Who is Olaf Offerdahl?

Olav Offer Dahl was apostolic administrator for Norway from 1928 to March 1930, then apostolic vicar until his death.

He was born on the croft Kleivi Årdal in Sogn. The family took the name of the farm area was under, Ofredal. Offerdahl took teacher education in Balestrand, and graduated in 1879. The same year he became a teacher in Bergen.

In autumn 1880, he began working at the Catholic elementary school in Bergen. On 31 October the same year, he converted from the Norwegian Church to the Catholic Church. In autumn 1884, he began his priestly studies, first in Turnhout in Belgium to 1886 and then at Urbana Collegio de Propaganda Fide in Rome for 1892 .

Offer Dahl was ordained a priest on 22 November 1891 by Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchi and summer of 1892 he returned to Norway. He was chaplain in Tromsø to January 1894, temporary the same place until July 1895 and then pastor in Tromsø in 1897. He was then transferred to St. Olav Church in Oslo, where he was chaplain to 1907 and as vicar until 1923. Then, he was parish priest in Arendal to June 1924, and as pastor of St. Hallvard's church in Oslo, he took over as the apostolic administrator in 1928.