Sømna Church


Sømna Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sømna Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vik i Helgeland. It is the church for the Sømna parish which is part of the Sør-Helgeland prosti in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white, wooden church was built in a cruciform style in 1876 by the architect Ole Scheistrøen. The church seats about 600 people.

History

The oldest records of the church in Vik dates back to 1432. The first church was likely a rectangular timber-framed building. The second church building was a log church in a cruciform design. The present church is likely the third church building in Vik. In 1873, it was decided to build a new, larger church to replace the older church building. A new plot of land about south of the old church site was purchased from Einar Ingebrigtsen Vik. About two years later, the new church was completed. After the new church was completed the old building was torn down and its materials were auctioned off. The old cemetery was used until 1980 when a new cemetery was opened.