Reykjavik Cathedral appoints first female priest

Reverend Anna Sigridur Palsdottir steps into her new position today as the first woman of Reykjavik Cathedral. The cathedral committee made the decision to appoint her as the first ever woman to the position of priest at the cathedral on September 20th, beating six other applicants to the job.

Palsdottir, who was previously serving as a priest in Grafarvogskirkja Church in Reykjavik, is looking forward to the challenge. “It’s in many ways different to what I’ve been doing here in Grafarvogskirkja Church for the past ten years,” she told a local news service. “In Grafarvogskirkja the congregation is very young […], so there are many people with children, baptisms, religious education for children and confirmation courses.”

In contrast, the congregation of Reykjavik Cathedral is much older and therefore has different needs and requirements from their priest. In addition, the Cathedral plays a far more political role than the Grafarvogskirkja Church, as it is the church of the Bishop of Iceland.

The Reykjavik Cathedral is the location for the inauguration of all new priests and conducts special services when the Althingi parliament opens. It is also the location for the opening of the Church Congress.