Parish of Christ King of Nuuk

Marian Invocation of Nuuk (Diocese of Copenhagen)
Recognized by the Church

The parish of Christ the King, in Nuuk, is the only Catholic parish in Greenland and belongs to the diocese of Copenhagen. The Catholic presence on the island is small and composed mainly of immigrants, with faithful from much of the Philippines and other countries. The history of Catholicism in Greenland dates back to the Middle Ages, with the arrival of the Norwegian Vikings in the 10th century and an early ecclesial organization around 1124, then reduced to a tiny community.

Main data

Origin and history

The parish of Christ the King, in Nuuk, is the only Catholic parish in Greenland and belongs to the diocese of Copenhagen. The Catholic presence on the island is small and composed mainly of immigrants, with faithful from much of the Philippines and other countries. The history of Catholicism in Greenland dates back to the Middle Ages, with the arrival of the Norwegian Vikings in the 10th century and an early ecclesial organization around 1124, then reduced to a tiny community.

The image and the sanctuary

There is no Marian advocation officially recognized as the head of the parish; the sources describe the general pastoral life, not a concrete Marian image. There is also no account of a miraculous image, exvotes or unique Marian tradition linked to this community.

Sponsorship and coronation

Canon Catholic Parish dedicated to Christ the King. It does not contain self-advocation, patronage or Marian coronation.

Party and devotion

His titular feast is the solemnity of Christ the King (last Sunday of the liturgical year). The Marian dimension is part of the usual Catholic life of the community, as local popular piety of the immigrant faithful, without a Marian cult formally singled out in the consulted sources.

Link to the Rosary

At the northern end of the world, the small Catholic flock of Nuuk keeps Marian devotion alive through the Rosary carried by the immigrant faithful. In its accounts, prayer to Mary unites this tiny Arctic community with the universal Church.