Today is Stiklestad Day so Happy Stiklestad! I know, what the hell is that? Here’s the link to tell you all about it (click here.) (See, you would have known what today is if you were a practicing pagan (do pagans say that they are practicing?))
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| From http://pagancalendar |
Ironically, in Norway they celebrate today in honor of St. Olaf whom the pagans killed off. Talk about having it both ways.
Ironic too because my cousin Father John Ridgell’s last pastoral duties were at St. Olaf’s Catholic Church in Williamsburg. John mentioned that Olaf was a somewhat controversial figure in Church history but I never thought much about it. Turns out that Olaf was a rather violent and murdering kind of guy (click here.) Of course, since he was murdering in the name of Christ, I guess that made him ok, even a saint, after all.
While talking about saints, I recall that after Mother Katharine Drexel was made a saint, I was visiting with my Aunt Sister Lorriane and we were discussing it. Sister Lorraine remarked “I can now say that I’ve met and personally known a saint. Not many people can say that.” I meet saints everyday; they just aren’t officially canonized as such. Enjoy your Stiklestad.