
Orkneys
FREE Catholic Classes
A group of islands situated between 58° 41' and 59° 24' N. lat. and 2° 22' and 3° 25' W. long., and lying to the north of Scotland, from which they are separated by Pentland Firth. They include Holme and Klippen, the most important, however, being Pomona or Mainland. The total area is over three hundred and seventy-five square miles and the population (of Norse descent), almost exclusively Calvinist and English speaking, numbers 30,000. These islands, for the most part level (the greatest altitude being 1541 feet, on Hoy), rocky, barren, treeless, partly covered by swampland, produce only barley, oats, potatoes, and beets. Stock raising is an important industry, the yearly production being 30,000 cattle, 40,000 sheep, 5000 pigs, and 6000 horses of a small but sturdy breed. The hunting of birds, seal, and whales, and the deep-sea fisheries (herring, cod, and lobsters) furnish the inhabitants with further means of sustenance. Excellent trout are to be caught in the numerous fiords and small lakes. Mining for iron, tin, and silver is also carried on successfully. The exportation of down and woven stuffs, (shawls, etc.) forms a lucrative source of income. Politically, the Orkneys form, with the Shetlands, a county, the capital being Kirkwall (a town of 5000 inhabitants), important as a trading centre, with a good harbour.
HISTORY
Among the ancients the Orkades nesoi , also called Orcades insulœ , are the Orkneys, mentioned by Pliny, Mela, and Tacitus. Julius Agricola, as commander of the troops garrisoned in Britain, in A. D. 69, had the coast of England explored by his ships of war, and took back more trustworthy information concerning these mythical territories, which he brought under the sceptre of Rome for the time being. Nothing is known of the inhabitants at that time, but they were probably Celts. About 872 the rulers of the separate islands were forced to submit to the rule of Harold Haarfager, King of Norway, who also subjugated the Hebrides, Isle of Man, and Ireland. Later Eric Blodsee sought refuge on the Orkneys from his victorious adversaries. From these islands also Olaf Trygvesson undertook the conquest of his ancestral kingdom (995), and Harold Hardrada set forth on his last campaign against England (1066). Thence also Olaf Kyrre returned to his native land (1067) and Hakon IV began his military expedition against Scotland (1263). In 1271 Magnus IV of Norway ceded to King Alexander III of Scotland all Scottish islands "with the exception of the Orkneys", in return for a yearly tribute, a condition which was renewed in later documents. Instead of being under the direct government of the monarchs of Norway, the Orkneys were now ruled by jarls , appointed by them from the houses of Strathearn and Sinclair. After the marriage of James III of Scotland to the daughter of Christian I, King of the united countries, the latter mortgaged the Orkneys to Scotland as security for his daughter's dowry (6 Sept., 1468), which he had not paid, and later attempts at redemption proved fruitless. Thus it was that Scottish ways and the English language gradually found access into the Orkneys and then became predominant. But many Norse customs and many Scandinavian forms of expression still persist, as though the nation preserved a certain attachment for the mother-country, with which tradition says it will be one day reunited.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY
Although the monks from Iona were active in the Orkneys at a very early period, the exact date when the Gospel was first preached and the nationality of the first missionaries are unknown. The early Christian communities probably succumbed during the disturbances of the migratory movements, and the later Norse settlers were pagans. Christianity first attained predominance, however, under Olaf Trygvesson. About the middle of the eleventh century Kirkwall ( Kirkevaag ) was made the seat of a diocese ( diœcesis Orcadensis ), in connexion with which a cathedral chapter was later established, and the Shetland Islands were assigned it as an archidiaconate. The prelates (at first prevailingly Norse, and later of Scotch extraction) were suffragans of the Archbishop of Lund, were later under Trondhjem (Nidaros), and after 1472 under St. Andrews. Practically nothing is known as to their names and the dates of their episcopates, and the documentary sources show important discrepancies. Some bishops received academic honours, which would indicate that they were not ignorant men for their times. This is especially true of the last Catholic bishop, Robert Reid (died 14 Sept., 1558), who is described as "vir omni literatura cultus et in rebus gerendis peritissimus", and who in 1540 brought to completion the magnificent cathedral of St. Magnus, which had been begun by his predecessors. His successor, Adam Bothwell, died (23 Aug., 1593) an apostate. At this time the last sparks of Catholicism were extinguished on the Orkneys under the fury of Calvinistic fanaticism which had been raging for decades, laying waste churches and employing both craft and force to draw the inhabitants from the faith of their fathers.
HISTORY OF ART
Burial chambers and stone circles (at Stenness on Mainland) testify to the primitive artistic sense of the original Celtic inhabitants. The earliest traces of the Norse occupation are to be found on Sandey, — burial mounds such as those in Scandinavia and great stone walls as ramparts about the houses of warriors. The settlements were copies, on a more modest scale, of the native places of the founders, Osko, Nidaros etc. No secular buildings of the Middle Ages have survived. Only the ruins of the episcopal residence at Kirkwall, where King Hakon IV died (15 December, 1263), are to be seen. The first Christian temple at Birgsay has completely disappeared. Of two churches at Deer Ness and Broch of Birsay on Mainland (remarkable for their double towers between nave and choir) only sketches are extant. It is over a hundred years since the first disappeared, but considerable ruins of the second are still to be seen. There are also traces of the church of St. Magnus at Egilsay and of the round apsidal church on Orphir. The great monumental, architectural work of the whole archipelago, however, is the cathedral of St. Magnus at Kirkwall ( Kirkevaag ), which is surpassed but slightly by the celebrated cathedral of Trondhjem. It was begun in 1137 by St. Ragnvald ( canonized 1192), prince ( jarl ) and crusader, and represents the artistic ideas of generations. Laid out originally according to Norman-Roman style, it seems to have been strongly influenced by the Gothic, and shows a harmonious combination of the two elements. The central nave is supported by twenty-eight columns of surpassing beauty. Above the intersection of the nave and transept rises an imposing square tower, the dome of which was unfortunately ruined by fire in the seventeenth century and was replaced by another which is too low. Doors made of stones of many colours fitted together open into the interior of the temple. Since the introduction of Calvinism altars, statues of the saints, and sacred vessels have disappeared; even the relics of the founder were scattered to the winds. The burial sites of the jarls have likewise been forgotten.
More Volume: O 274
Filter 274 entries by typing in the 'Search' box below. Click/Touch the letter below to view encyclopedia articles within that volume.
Article |
---|
O AntiphonsO Antiphons(Roman Breviary: Antiphonæ majores, "greater antiphons"). The seven antiphons to the ... |
O Deus Ego Amo TeO Deus Ego Amo TeThe first line of two Latin lyrics sometimes attributed to St. Francis Xavier, but of uncertain ... |
O Filii et FiliæO Filii Et FiliaeThe first line of a hymn celebrating the mystery of Easter. As commonly found in hymnals ... |
O Salutaris HostiaO Salutaris Hostia(O Saving Host). The first line of the penultimate stanza of the hymn, "Verbum supernum ... |
O'Braein, TighernachTighernach O'BraeinIrish annalist and Abbot of Roscommon and Clonmacnoise, died 1088. Little is known of his ... |
O'Brien, Terence AlbertTerence Albert O'BrienBorn at Limerick, 1600; died there, 31 October, 1651. He joined the Dominicans, receiving the ... |
O'Bruadair, DavidDavid O'BruadairAn Irish poet, b. about 1625, most probably in the barony of Barrymore, Co. Cork, but according ... |
O'Callaghan, Edmund BaileyEdmund Bailey O'CallaghanPhysician, publicist, and historian, b. at Mallow, Cork, 29 February, 1797; d. at New York, 29 ... |
O'Carolan, TorloghTorlogh O'Carolan( Irish, Toirdhealbhach O Cearbhalláin ). Usually spoken of as the "last of the ... |
O'Connell, DanielDaniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell was born at Carhen, near Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry, Ireland, 1775; died at Genoa, ... |
O'Conor, CharlesCharles O'ConorCharles O'Conor was born in the city of New York, 22 January, 1804; died at Nantucket, ... |
O'Conor, CharlesCharles O'ConorOften called "the Venerable", b. at Belanagare, Co. Roscommon, 1710; d. 1791, was descended from ... |
O'Cullenan, GelasiusGelasius O'Cullenan(Or GLAISNE O'CULLENAN). Cistercian, Abbot of Boyle, Ireland, b. probably near Assaroe Abbey, ... |
O'Curry, EugeneEugene O'Curry(EOGHAN O COMHRAIDHE) An Irish scholar, born at Dunaha near Carrigaholt, Co. Clare, 1796; ... |
O'Daly, DanielDaniel O'DalyA diplomatist and historian, born in Kerry, Ireland, 1595; died at Lisbon, 30 June, 1662. On his ... |
O'Daly, Donogh MórDonogh Mor O'Daly(In Irish Donnchadh Mór O Dálaigh ) A celebrated Irish poet, d. 1244. About ... |
O'Devany, CorneliusCornelius O'Devany(Conchobhar O'Duibheannaigh) Bishop of Down and Connor, Ireland, b. about 1532; d. at ... |
O'Donnell, EdmundEdmund O'DonnellThe first Jesuit executed by the English government; b. at Limerick in 1542, executed at ... |
O'Donovan, JohnJohn O'DonovanIrish historian and antiquarian, b. at Atateemore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, 1806; d. at ... |
O'Dugan, JohnJohn O'Dugan(Seághan "mor" O Dubhagáin) Died in Roscommon, 1372. His family were for ... |
O'Dwyer, JosephJoseph O'DwyerPhysician, inventor of intubation; b. at Cleveland, 1841; d. in New York, January 7, 1898. He was ... |
O'Fihely, MauriceMaurice O'FihelyArchbishop of Tuam, born about 1460; died at Galway, 1513. He was, according to Dr. Lynch, a ... |
O'Growney, EugeneEugene O'GrowneyPriest, patriot, and scholar, b. 25 August, 1863, at Ballyfallon, County Meath ; d. at Los ... |
O'Hagan, JohnJohn O'HaganLawyer and man of letters, b. at Newry, County Down, Ireland, 19 March, 1822; d. near Dublin, ... |
O'Hagan, ThomasThomas O'HaganFirst Baron of Tullyhogue, b. at Belfast, 29 May, 1812; d. 1 February, 1885. Called to the Irish ... |
O'Hanlon, JohnJohn O'HanlonBorn at Stradbally, Queen's County, Ireland, 1821; died at Sandymount, Dublin, 1905. He entered ... |
O'Hara, TheodoreTheodore O'HaraBorn in Danville, Kentucky, U.S.A. 11 February, 1822; died in Guerryton, Alabama, 6 June, 1867. ... |
O'Hely, PatrickPatrick O'HelyBishop of Mayo, Ireland ; d. At Kilmallock, September, 1579. He was a native of Connaught, and ... |
O'Herlahy, ThomasThomas O'Herlahy(O' H I ARLAITHE ). Bishop of Ross, Ireland, d. 1579. Consecrated about 1560, he was one ... |
O'Higgins, Ambrose and BernardAmbrose Bernard O'HigginsAmbrose Bernard O'Higgins Born in County Meath, Ireland, in 1720; died at Lima, 18 March, 1810. ... |
O'Hurley, DermondDermond O'HurleyArchbishop of Cashel, Ireland ; died 19-29 June, 1584. His father, William O'Hurley of ... |
O'Hussey, MaelbrighteMaelbrighte O'Hussey(Irish, Maol Brighde ua Heodhusa ; Latin, Brigidus Hossæus ). Known also as ... |
O'Leary, ArthurArthur O'LearyFranciscan, preacher, polemical writer, b. at Faniobbus, Iveleary, Co. Cork, Ireland, 1729; d. ... |
O'Loghlen, MichaelMichael O'LoghlenBorn at Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland, in 1789; died 1846. Educated at Ennis Academy, and Trinity ... |
O'Meara, KathleenKathleen O'MearaNovelist and biographer, b. in Dublin, 1839; d. in Paris, 10 Nov., 1888; daughter of Dennis ... |
O'Neill, HughHugh O'NeillEarl of Tyrone, b. 1550, d. Rome, 1616; he was the youngest son of Mathew, of questionable ... |
O'Neill, Owen RoeOwen Roe O'NeillBorn 1582; died near Cavan, 6 Nov., 1649, the son of Art O'Neill and nephew of Hugh, the great ... |
O'Queely, MalachiasMalachias O'Queely(Maolsheachlainn O Cadhla). Archbishop of Tuam, Ireland, b. in Thomond, date unknown; d. at ... |
O'Reilly, BernardBernard O'ReillyHistorian, b. 20 Sept., 1820, in County Mayo, Ireland ; d. in New York, U.S.A. 26 April, ... |
O'Reilly, EdmundEdmund O'ReillyArchbishop of Armagh, b. at Dublin, 1616; d. at Saumur, France, 1669, was educated in Dublin ... |
O'Reilly, EdmundEdmund O'ReillyTheologian, b. in London, 30 April, 1811; d. at Dublin, 10 November, 1878. Educated at ... |
O'Reilly, HughHugh O'ReillyArchbishop of Armagh, head of the Confederates of Kilkenny, b. 1580; d. on Trinity Island in ... |
O'Reilly, John BoyleJohn Boyle O'ReillyPoet, novelist, and editor, b. at Douth Castle, Drogheda, Ireland, 24 June, 1844; d. at Hull, ... |
O'Reilly, Myles William PatrickMyles William Patrick O'ReillySoldier, publicist, littérateur , b. near Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, Ireland, 13 March, ... |
O'Rorke, Patrick HenryPatrick Henry O'RorkeSoldier, b. in County Cavan, Ireland, 25 March, 1837; killed at the battle of Gettysburg, Penn., ... |
O'Sullivan Beare, PhilipPhilip O'Sullivan BeareBorn in Ireland, c. 1590; died in Spain, 1660, son of Dermot O'Sullivan and nephew of Donal ... |
O'Toole, Saint LawrenceSt. Lawrence O'Toole(L ORCAN UA T UATHAIL ; also spelled Laurence O'Toole) Confessor, born about 1128, in the ... |
Oakeley, FrederickFrederick OakeleyBorn 5 September, 1802, at Shrewsbury ; died 30 Jan., 1880, at Islington, the youngest son of ... |
Oates's PlotOates's PlotA term conventionally used to designate a "Popish Plot" which, during the reign of Charles II of ... |
OathsOathsI. NOTION AND DIVISIONS An oath is an invocation to God to witness the truth of a statement. ... |
Oaths, English Post-ReformationEnglish Post-Reformation OathsThe English Reformation having been imposed by the Crown, it was natural that submission to the ... |
OaxacaOaxaca(Or ANTEQUERA). Situated in the southern part of the Republic of Mexico, bounded on the north ... |
Obazine, Monastery ofMonastery of ObazineLocated in the Diocese of Tulle ; founded by St. Stephen of Obazine about 1134. After his ... |
ObbaObbaTitular see in Byzacena, northern Africa of unknown history, although mentioned by Polybius ... |
ObedienceObedienceObedience (Lat. obêdire, "to hearken to", hence "to obey") is the complying with a command ... |
Obedience, ReligiousReligious ObedienceReligious obedience is that general submission which religious vow to God, and voluntarily ... |
ObedientiariesObedientiariesA name commonly used in medieval times for the lesser officials of a monastery who were ... |
Oblate Sisters of ProvidenceOblate Sisters of ProvidenceA congregation of negro nuns founded at Baltimore, Maryland, by the Rev. Jacques Hector ... |
Oblates of Mary ImmaculateOblates of Mary ImmaculateI. NAME AND ORIGIN The first members of this society, founded in 1816, were known as ... |
Oblates of St. Francis de SalesOblates of Saint Francis de SalesA congregation of priests founded originally by Saint Francis de Sales at the request of Saint ... |
Oblati, Oblatæ, OblatesOblatiOblati (Oblatæ, Oblates) is a word used to describe any persons, not professed monks or ... |
ObligationObligationA term derived from the Roman civil law , defined in the "Institutes" of Justinian as a "legal ... |
ObregoniansObregonians(Or Poor Infirmarians) A small congregation of men, who professed the Rule of the Third Order ... |
ObreptionObreption( Latin ob and repere , "to creep over"). A canonical term applied to a species of fraud ... |
Observatory, VaticanVatican ObservatoryThe Vatican Observatory now bears the official title, "Specola Astronomica Vaticana". To ... |
Occam, William ofWilliam of OckhamFourteenth-century Scholastic philosopher and controversial writer, born at or near the village ... |
OccasionalismOccasionalismOccasionalism (Latin occasio ) is the metaphysical theory which maintains that finite things ... |
Occasions of SinOccasions of SinOccasions of Sin are external circumstances--whether of things or persons --which either ... |
Occleve, ThomasThomas Occleve(Or Hoccleve) Little is known of his life beyond what is mentioned in his poems. He was b. ... |
Occult Art, OccultismOccult Art, OccultismUnder this general term are included various practices to which special articles of the ... |
OccurrenceOccurence(IN LITURGY) I. DEFINITION Occurrence is the coinciding or occurring of two liturgical offices ... |
Oceania, Vicariate Apostolic of CentralVicariate Apostolic of Central OceaniaThe whole of Oceania had at first been entrusted by the Propaganda to the Society of the Sacred ... |
Ockham, William ofWilliam of OckhamFourteenth-century Scholastic philosopher and controversial writer, born at or near the village ... |
Octavarium RomanumOctavarium RomanumThe Octavarium Romanum is a liturgical book which may be considered as an appendix to the Roman ... |
OctaveOctaveI. ORIGIN It is the number seven, not eight, that plays the principal rôle in Jewish ... |
Odense, Ancient See of OdenseAncient See of Odense(OTHINIA, OTHONIENSIS.) The diocese included the islands of Fünen, Langeland, Taasinge, ... |
Odescalchi, CarloCarlo OdescalchiCardinal, prince, archbishop, and Jesuit, b. at Rome, 5 March, 1786; d. at Modena, 17 August, ... |
Odilia, SaintSt. OdiliaPatroness of Alsace, born at the end of the seventh century; died about 720. According to a ... |
Odilo, SaintSt. OdiloFifth Abbot of Cluny (q.v.), v.c. 962; d. 31 December, 1048. He was descended from the nobility ... |
Odin, John MaryJohn Mary OdinLazarist missionary, first Bishop of Galveston and second Archbishop of New Orleans, b. 25 ... |
Odington, WalterWalter OdingtonAn English Benedictine, also known as WALTER OF EVESHAM, by some writers confounded with WALTER ... |
Odo of Cambrai, BlessedBlessed Odo of CambraiBishop and confessor, also called ODOARDUS; born at Orléans, 1050; died at Anchin, 19 ... |
Odo of CanterburyOdo of CanterburyAbbot of Battle, d. 1200, known as Odo Cantianus or of Kent. A monk of Christ Church, he ... |
Odo of CheritonOdo of CheritonPreacher and fabulist, d. 1247. He visited Paris, and it was probably there that he gained the ... |
Odo of GlanfeuilOdo of Glanfeuil(Saint-Maur-sur-Loire) Abbot, ninth-century hagiographer. He entered Glanfeuil not later than ... |
Odo, SaintSt. OdoSecond Abbot of Cluny, born 878 or 879, probably near Le Mans ; died 18 November, 942. He ... |
Odo, SaintSaint Odo(Oda) Archbishop of Canterbury, d. 2 June, 959 (not in 958; recent researches showing that he ... |
Oertel, John James MaximilianJohn James Maximilian OertelJournalist, born at Ansbach, Bavaria, 27 April, 1811; died at Jamaica, New York, 21 August, 1882. ... |
OettingenOettingen(ALTÖTTING, OETINGA) Oettingen, during the Carlovingian period a royal palace near the ... |
OffaOffa, King of MerciaOffa, King of Mercia, died 29 July, 796. He was one of the leading figures of Saxon history, as ... |
OfferingsOfferings(OBLATIONS) I. THE WORD OBLATION The word oblation , from the supine of the Latin verb ... |
OffertoryOffertory(Offertorium.) The rite by which the bread and wine are presented (offered) to God before ... |
Office of the DeadOffice of the DeadI. COMPOSITION OF THE OFFICE This office, as it now exists in the Roman Liturgy, is composed of ... |
Office, DivineDivine Office("Liturgy of the Hours" I. THE EXPRESSION "DIVINE OFFICE" This expression signifies ... |
Ogdensburg, Diocese ofOgdensburg(Ogdensburgdensis). Comprises the northern towns of Herkimer and Hamilton counties, with the ... |
Oggione, Marco D'Marco d'OggioneMilanese painter, b. at Oggionno near Milan about 1470; d. probably in Milan, 1549. This ... |
Ogilvie, John, VenerableVen. John OgilvieEldest son of Walter Ogilvie, of Drum, near Keith, Scotland, b. 1580; d. 10 March, 1615. Educated ... |
OgliastraOgliastraDIOCESE OF OGLIASTRA (OLEASTRENSIS) Diocese in the Province of Cagliari, Sardinia. It was ... |
OhioOhioThe seventeenth state of the American Union, admitted on 19 Feb., 1803. It is bounded on the north ... |
Ohler, Aloys KarlAloys Karl OhlerEducationist, born at Mainz, 2 January, 1817; died there, 24 August, 1889. He attended the ... |
Oil of SaintsOil of Saints(Manna Oil of Saints). An oily substance, which is said to have flowed, or still flows, from ... |
Oils, HolyHoly Oils(OLEA SACRA). Liturgical Benediction Oil is a product of great utility the symbolic ... |
Ointment in ScriptureOintment in ScriptureThat the use of oily, fragrant materials to anoint the body is a custom going back to remote ... |
Ojeda, Alonso deAlonso de OjedaExplorer; b. at Cuenca, Spain, about 1466; d. on the island of Santo Domingo , about 1508. He ... |
Okeghem, Jean d'Jean d'OkeghemAlso called Okekem, Okenghem, Okegnan, Ockenheim. Contrapuntist, founder and head of the second ... |
OklahomaOklahomaI. GEOGRAPHY Oklahoma, the forty-sixth state to be admitted to the Union, is bounded on the north ... |
Oláh, NicolausNicolaus Olah(OLAHUS) Archbishop of Gran and Primate of Hungary, a distinguished prelate, born 10 ... |
Olaf Haraldson, SaintSt. Olaf HaraldsonMartyr and King of Norway (1015-30), b. 995; d. 29 July, 1030. He was a son of King Harald ... |
OlbaOlbaA titular see in Isauria, suffragan of Seleucia. It was a city of Cetis in Cilicia Aspera, ... |
Old CatholicsOld CatholicsThe sect organised in German-speaking countries to combat the dogma of Papal Infallibility. ... |
Old Chapter, TheThe Old ChapterThe origin of the body, fomerly known as the Old Chapter, dates from 1623, when after a period of ... |
Old Hall (St. Edmund's College)Old Hall (St. Edmund's College)Located near Ware, Hertfordshire, England ; founded in 1793 after the fall of the English ... |
Old TestamentOld TestamentI. NAME The word "testament", Hebrew berîth , Greek diatheke , primarily signifies the ... |
Old Testament, Canon of theCanon of the Old TestamentOverview The word canon as applied to the Scriptures has long had a special and consecrated ... |
Oldcorne, Ven. EdwardVen. Edward OldcorneMartyr, b. 1561; d. 1606. His father was a Protestant, and his mother a Catholic. He was ... |
OldenburgOldenburgA grand duchy, one of the twenty-six federated states of the German Empire. It consists of three ... |
Oldham, HughHugh OldmanBishop of Exeter, b. in Lancashire, either at Crumpsell or Oldham; d. 25 June, 1519. Having ... |
Oldoini, AugustinoAugustino OldoiniHistorian and bibliographer, b. 6 Jan., 1612; d. at Perugia, 23 March, 1683. He came from La ... |
OlenusOlenusA titular see and suffragan of Patras, in Achaia Quarta, one of the twelve primitive cities of ... |
Olesnicki, ZbigniewZbigniew Olesnicki(Sbigneus) A Polish cardinal and statesman, b. in Poland, 1389; d. at Sandomir, 1 April, ... |
Olier, Jean-JacquesJean-Jacques OlierFounder of the seminary and Society of St-Sulpice, b. at Paris, 20 Sept., 1608; d. there, 2 ... |
OlindaOlindaDiocese in the north-east of Brazil, suffragan of San Salvador de Bahia. Erected into a vicariate ... |
OlivaOlivaA suppressed Cistercian abbey near Danzig in Pomerania, founded with the assistance of the ... |
Oliva, Gian PaoloGian Paolo OlivaBorn at Genoa, 4 October, 1600; died at Rome, at Sant' Andrea Quirinale, 26 November, 1681. In ... |
Olivaint, PierrePierre OlivaintPierre Olivaint was born in Paris, 22 Feb., 1816. His father, a man of repute but an unbeliever, ... |
Oliver, GeorgeGeorge OliverBorn at Newington in Surrey in 1781; died at Exeter in 1861. After studying for some years at ... |
Olivet, MountMount Olivet(Latin, Mons Olivertus .) Occurring also in the English Bibles as the Mount of Olives ( ... |
OlivetansOlivetansA branch of the white monks of the Benedictine Order, founded in 1319. It owed its origin to ... |
Olivi, Pierre JeanPierre Jean Olivi(PETRUS JOHANNIS) A Spiritual Franciscan and theological author, born at Sérignan, ... |
Olivier de la MarcheOlivier de La MarcheChronicler and poet, b. 1426, at the Chateau de la Marche, in Franche-Comté; d. at ... |
Ollé-Laprune, LéonLeon Olle-LapruneFrench Catholic philosopher, b. in 1839; d. at Paris, 19 Feb., 1898. Under the influence of the ... |
OlmützOlmutz(OLOMUCENSIS) Archdiocese in Moravia. It is probable that Christianity penetrated into ... |
Olympias, SaintSt. OlympiasBorn 360-5; died 25 July, 408, probably at Nicomedia. This pious, charitable, and wealthy ... |
OlympusOlympusA titular see of Lycia in Asia Minor. It was one of the chief cities of the "Corpus Lyciacum", ... |
OmahaOmaha(OMAHENSIS) The Diocese embraces all that part of the State of Nebraska north of the southern ... |
OmbusOmbusTitular see and suffragan of Ptolemais in Thebais Secunda. The city is located by Ptolemy (IV, ... |
Omer, SaintSt. OmerBorn of a distinguished family towards the close of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh ... |
OmissionOmission(Latin omittere , to lay aside, to pass away). "Omission" is here taken to be the failure to ... |
OmnipotenceOmnipotence(Latin omnipotentia , from omnia and potens , able to do all things). Omnipotence is ... |
OniasOnias( ’Onías ). Name of several Jewish pontiffs of the third and second centuries ... |
OntarioOntarioOntario, the most populous and wealthy province of Canada, has an area of 140,000,000 acres, ... |
OntologismOntologism(from on, ontos , being, and logos , science) Ontologism is an ideological system which ... |
OntologyOntology( on, ontos , being, and logos , science, the science or philosophy of being). I. ... |
Oostacker, Shrine ofShrine of OostackerA miraculous shrine of the Blessed Virgin, and place of pilgrimage from Belgium, Holland, and ... |
Opening Prayer (in the Mass)CollectThe name now used only for short prayers before the Epistle in the Mass, which occur again at ... |
OphirOphirOphir, in the Bible , designates a people and a country. The people, for whom a Semitic ... |
OportoOporto(Portucalensis) Diocese in Portugal ; comprising 26 civil concelhos of the districts of ... |
Oppenordt, Gilles-MarieGilles-Marie Oppenordt(Oppenord) Born in Paris, 1672; died there, 1742; a celebrated rococo artist, known as "the ... |
Oppido MamertinaOppido MamertinaDiocese ; suffragan of Reggio Calabria, Italy, famous for its prolonged resistance to Roger ... |
Optatus, SaintSt. OptatusBishop of Milevis, in Numidia, in the fourth century. He was a convert, as we gather from St. ... |
OptimismOptimismOptimism (Latin optimus , best) may be understood as a metaphysical theory, or as an emotional ... |
Option, Right ofRight of OptionIn canon law an option is a way of obtaining a benefice or a title, by the choice of the new ... |
OracleOracle( oraculum; orare , to speak). A Divine communication given at a special place through ... |
OranOran(ORANENSIS). Diocese in Algiers, separated from the Archdiocese of Algiers, 26 July, 1866, to ... |
Orange Free StateOrange Free StateThe Orange Free State, one of the four provinces of the Union of South Africa, lies between ... |
Orange RiverOrange River, South Africa(also the PREFECTURE APOSTOLIC OF GREAT NAMAQUALAND) Located in South Africa. The vicariate was ... |
Orange, Councils ofCouncils of OrangeTwo councils were held at Orange (Arausio), a town in the present department of Vaucluse in ... |
OransOrans(Orante) Among the subjects depicted in the art of the Roman catacombs one of those most ... |
Orate FratresOrate FratresThe exhortation (" Pray brethren that my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God the Father ... |
OratorioOratorioAs at present understood, an Oratorio is a musical composition for solo voices, chorus, orchestra, ... |
OratoryOratory(Latin oratorium , from orare , to pray ) As a general term, Oratory signifies a place ... |
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, TheThe Oratory of Saint Philip NeriUnder this head are included the Italian, Spanish, English, and other communities, which follow ... |
Oratory, French Congregation of theFrench Congregation of the OratoryFounded in Paris at the beginning of the seventeenth century by Cardinal Pierre de ... |
Orbellis, Nicolas d'Nicolas d'OrbellisFranciscan theologian and philosopher, Scotist ; born about 1400; died at Rome, 1475. He seems ... |
OrcagnaOrcagna(The conventional name in art history of A NDREA DI C IONE , also called A RCAGNUOLO or A ... |
OrcistusOrcistusTitular see in Galatia Secunda. It is only mentioned in Peutinger's "Table". An inscription of ... |
OrdealsOrdeals( Iudicium Dei ; Anglo-Saxon, ordâl ; German Urteil ). Ordeals were a means of ... |
Ordericus VitalisOrdericus VitalisHistorian, b. 1075; d. about 1143. He was the son of an English mother and a French priest who ... |
Orders, HolyHoly OrdersOrder is the appropriate disposition of things equal and unequal, by giving each its proper place ... |
Orders, The MilitaryThe Military OrdersIncluding under this term every kind of brotherhood of knights, secular as well as religious, ... |
OrdinariateOrdinariate(From Ordinary ). This term is used in speaking collectively of all the various organs ... |
OrdinaryOrdinary( Latin ordinarius , i. e., judex ) An Ordinary in ecclesiastical language, denotes any ... |
Ordines RomaniOrdines RomaniThe word Ordo commonly meant, in the Middle Ages, a ritual book containing directions for ... |
OregonOregonOne of the Pacific Coast States, seventh in size among the states of the Union (1910). It received ... |
Oregon CityOregon City(OREGONOPOLITAN). Includes that part of the state of Oregon west of the Cascade Mountains, ... |
OremusOremusInvitation to pray, said before collects and other short prayers and occurring continually in ... |
OrenseOrense(AURIENSIS) A suffragan of Compostela, includes nearly all of the civil Province of Orense, ... |
Oresme, NicoleNicole OresmePhilosopher, economist, mathematician, and physicist, one of the principal founders of modern ... |
OrganOrgan(Greek organon , "an instrument") A musical instrument which consists of one or several sets ... |
Organic Articles, TheThe Organic ArticlesA name given to a law regulating public worship, comprising 77 articles relative to Catholicism, ... |
OriaOria(URITANA) Oria, in the Province of Lecce [now the Province of Brindisi -- Ed. ], Apulia, ... |
Oriani, BarnabaBarnaba OrianiItalian Barnabite and astronomer, b. at Carignano, near Milan, 17 July, 1752; d. at Milan, 12 ... |
Oriental Study and ResearchOriental Study and ResearchIn the broadest sense of the term, Oriental study comprises the scientific investigation and ... |
Orientation of ChurchesOrientation of ChurchesAccording to Tertullian the Christians of his time were, by some who concerned themselves with ... |
OrientiusOrientiusChristian Latin poet of the fifth century. He wrote an elegiac poem ( Commonitorium ) of 1036 ... |
OriflammeOriflammeIn verses 3093-5 of the "Chanson de Roland" (eleventh century) the oriflamme is mentioned as a ... |
Origen and OrigenismOrigen and OrigenismI. LIFE AND WORK OF ORIGEN A. BIOGRAPHY Origen, most modest of writers, hardly ever alludes to ... |
Original SinOriginal SinI. Meaning II. Principal Adversaries III. Original Sin in ScriptureIV. Original Sin in ... |
OrihuelaOrihuelaDIOCESE OF ORIHUELA (ORIOLENSIS, ORIOLANA). The Diocese of Orihuela comprises all the civil ... |
Oriol, Saint JosephSaint Joseph OriolPriest, "Thaumaturgus of Barcelona", b. at Barcelona, 23 November, 1650; d. there, 23 March, ... |
OristanoOristanoDiocese of Oristano (Arborensis) in Sardinia. Oristano was the capital of the giudicatura ... |
OrkneysOrkneysA group of islands situated between 58° 41' and 59° 24' N. lat. and 2° 22' and 3° ... |
OrléansOrleans(AURELIANUM) This Diocese comprises the Department of Loiret, suffragan of Paris since 1622, ... |
Orléans, Councils ofCouncils of OrleansSix national councils were held at Orléans in the Merovingian period. I. — At the ... |
Orlandini, NiccolòNiccolo OrlandiniBorn at Florence, 1554; died 1606 at Rome, 17 May. He entered the Jesuit novitiate 7 Nov., ... |
Orley, Barent VanBarent van Orley(Bernard) Painter, b. at Brussels, about 1491; d. there 6 January, 1542. He studied under ... |
Orme, Philibert de l'Philibert de l'OrmeAn architect, born about 1512; died 1570. His style, classical and of the more severe Italian ... |
OropusOropusTitular see, suffragan of Anazarbus in Cilicia Secunda. It never really depended on Anazarbus ... |
Orosius, PaulusPaulus OrosiusHistorian and Christian apologist ; b. probably at Bracara, now Braga, in Portugal, between 380 ... |
Orphans and OrphanagesOrphans and OrphanagesThe death of one or both parents makes the child of the very poor a ward of the community. The ... |
Orsi, Giuseppe AgostinoGiuseppe Agostino OrsiA cardinal, theologian, and ecclesiastical historian, born at Florence, 9 May, 1692, of an ... |
OrsiniOrsiniOne of the most ancient and distinguished families of the Roman nobility, whose members often ... |
OrsisiusOrsisius( Arsisios , Oresiesis-Heru-sa Ast) Egyptian monk of the fourth century; was a disciple ... |
Ortelius, AbrahamAbraham Ortelius(OERTEL) A cartographer, geographer, and archeologist, born in Antwerp, 4 April, 1527; died ... |
Orthodox ChurchOrthodox ChurchThe technical name for the body of Christians who use the Byzantine Rite in various languages ... |
OrthodoxyOrthodoxyOrthodoxy ( orthodoxeia ) signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not ... |
Orthodoxy, Feast ofFeast of Orthodoxy(or SUNDAY) The first Sunday of the Great Forty days ( Lent ) in the Byzantine Calendar ... |
OrthosiasOrthosiasA titular see of Phœnicia Prima, suffragan of Tyre. The city is mentioned for the first ... |
Ortolano FerrareseOrtolano FerraresePainter of the Ferrara School, b. in Ferrara, about 1490; d. about 1525. His real name was ... |
OrvalOrval(Aurea Vallis, Gueldenthal). Formerly a Cistercian abbey in Belgian Luxemburg, Diocese of ... |
OrvietoOrvietoDIOCESE OF ORVIETO (URBEVETANA) Diocese in Central Italy. The city stands on a rugged mass of ... |
Ory, MatthieuMatthieu OryInquisitor and theologian, b. at La Caune, 1492; d. at Paris, 1557. Entering the Dominican ... |
OsakaOsaka(Osachensis). Osaka ( Oye , great river; saka , cliff), one of the three municipal ... |
OsbaldOsbaldKing of Northumbria, d. 799. Symeon of Durham (Historia Regum) tells us that when Ecfwald, a ... |
Osbaldeston, Edward, VenerableVen. Edward OsbaldestonEnglish martyr, b. about 1560; hanged, drawn, and quartered at York, 16 November, 1594. Son of ... |
OsbernOsbernHagiographer, sometimes confused with Osbert de Clare alias Osbern de Westminster, b. at ... |
Oscott (St. Mary's College)Oscott (St. Mary's College)In 1793, a number of the Catholic nobility and gentry of England formed a committee for the ... |
OseeOseeNAME AND COUNTRY Osee (Hôsheá‘– Salvation ), son of Beeri, was one of ... |
OsimoOsimoDIOCESE OF OSIMO (AUXIMANA). Diocese in the Province of Ascoli Piceno, Italy. Osimo was ... |
Oslo, Ancient See ofAncient See of Oslo(ASLOIA, ASLOENSIS.) Oslo occupied part of the site of Christiania (founded 1624). After the ... |
OsmaOsma(OXOMENSIS) The Diocese borders Burgos and Logroño on the north, Soria and Saragossa ... |
Osmund, SaintSt. OsmundBishop of Salisbury, died 1099; his feast is kept on 4 December. Osmund held an exalted ... |
OsnabrückOsnabrueck(OSNABRUGENSIS) This diocese, directly subject to the Holy See, comprises, in the Prussian ... |
Ossat, Arnaud d'Arnaud d'OssatFrench cardinal, diplomat, and writer, b. at Larroque-Magnoac (Gascony), 20 July, 1537; d. at ... |
Ossory, Diocese ofOssory(Ossoriensis.) In the Province of Leinster, Ireland, is bounded on the south by the Suir, on ... |
OstensoriumOstensorium(From ostendere , "to show"). Ostensorium means, in accordance with its etymology, a ... |
Ostia and VelletriOstia and VelletriSUBURBICARIAN DIOCESE OF OSTIA AND VELLETRI (OSTIENSIS ET VELITERNENSIS). Near Rome, central ... |
OstiensisOstiensisSurname of LEO MARSICANUS, Benedictine chronicler, b. about 1045; d. 22 May, 1115, 1116, or ... |
OstracineOstracineTitular see and suffragan of Pelusium in Augustamnica prima. Pliny (Hist. naturalis, V, xiv) ... |
Ostraka, ChristianChristian OstrakaInscriptions on clay, wood, metal, and other hard materials. Like papyri, they are valuable ... |
OstrogothsOstrogothsOne of the two chief tribes of the Goths, a Germanic people. Their traditions relate that the ... |
Oswald, SaintSt. OswaldArchbishop of York, d. on 29 February, 992. Of Danish parentage, Oswald was brought up by his ... |
Oswald, SaintSt. OswaldKing and martyr ; b., probably, 605; d. 5 Aug., 642; the second of seven brothers, sons of ... |
Oswin, SaintSt. OswinKing and martyr, murdered at Gilling, near Richmond, Yorkshire, England, on 20 August, 651, ... |
Otfried of WeissenburgOtfried of WeissenburgHe is the oldest German poet known by name, author of the "Evangelienbuch", a rhymed version of ... |
OthloOthlo(OTLOH) A Benedictine monk of St. Emmeran's, Ratisbon, born 1013 in the Diocese of ... |
Othmar, SaintSt. Othmar(Audomar.) Died 16 Nov., 759, on the island of Werd in the Rhine, near Echnez, Switzerland. ... |
Otho, Marcus SalviusMarcus Salvius OthoRoman emperor, successor, after Galba, of Nero, b. in Rome, of an ancient Etruscan family ... |
OtrantoOtrantoARCHDIOCESE OF OTRANTO (HYDRUNTINA). Otranto is a city of the Province of Lecce, Apulia, ... |
Ottawa, Archdiocese ofOttawaArchdiocese of Ottawa (Ottawiensis). The Archdiocese of Ottawa, in Canada, originally ... |
Ottawa, University ofUniversity of OttawaConducted by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate ; founded in 1848. It was incorporated in 1849 under ... |
Otto I, the GreatOtto I (The Great)Roman emperor and German king, b. in 912; d. at Memleben, 7 May, 973; son of Henry I and his ... |
Otto IIOtto IIKing of the Germans and Emperor of Rome, son of Otto I and Adelaide, b. 955; d. in Rome, 7 ... |
Otto IIIOtto IIIGerman king and Roman emperor, b. 980; d. at Paterno, 24 Jan., 1002. At the age of three he was ... |
Otto IVOtto IVGerman king and Roman emperor, b. at Argentau (Dept. of Orne), c. 1182; d. 19 May, 1218; son of ... |
Otto of FreisingOtto of FreisingBishop and historian, b. between 1111 and 1114, d. at Morimond, Champagne, France, 22 ... |
Otto of PassauOtto of PassauAll we know of him is in the preface of his work, in which he calls himself a member of the ... |
Otto of St. BlasienOtto of BlasienChronicler, b. about the middle of the twelfth century; d. 23 July, 1223, at St. Blasien in the ... |
Otto, SaintSaint OttoBishop of Bamberg, b. about 1060; d. 30 June, 1139. He belonged to the noble, though not ... |
OttobeurenOttobeuren(OTTOBURA, MONASTERIUM OTTOBURANUM) Formerly a Benedictine abbey, now a priory, near ... |
Ouen, SaintSt. Ouen(OWEN; DADON, Latin Audaenus ). Archbishop of Rouen, b. at Sancy, near Soissons about ... |
Our Father, TheLord's PrayerAlthough the Latin term oratio dominica is of early date, the phrase "Lord's Prayer" does not ... |
Our Lady of Charity of the Good ShepherdOur Lady of Charity of the Good ShepherdThe aim of this institute is to provide a shelter for girls and women of dissolute habits, who ... |
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Feast ofFeast of Our Lady of Good CounselRecords dating from the reign of Paul II (1464-71) relate that the picture of Our Lady, at ... |
Our Lady of Perpetual HelpOur Lady of Perpetual Succour (Our Lady of Perpetual Help)( Or OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP.) The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted ... |
Our Lady of Perpetual SuccourOur Lady of Perpetual Succour (Our Lady of Perpetual Help)( Or OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP.) The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted ... |
Our Lady of the Fields, Brothers ofBrothers of Our Lady of the FieldsA Canadian congregation founded in 1902 at St-Damien de Buckland in the Diocese of Quebec by ... |
Our Lady of the SnowOur Lady of the Snow("Dedicatio Sanctæ Mariæ ad Nives"). A feast celebrated on 5 August to ... |
Our Lady, Help of Christians, Feast ofFeast of Our Lady, Help of ChristiansThe invocation Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians ) originated in the sixteenth ... |
Overbeck, FriedrichFriedrich OverbeckConvert and painter of religious subjects, b. at Lübeck, 3 July, 1789; d. at Rome, 12 ... |
Overberg, Bernhard HeinrichBernhard Heinrich OverbergA German ecclesiastic and educator, born 1 May, 1754; died 9 November, 1826. Of poor parents in ... |
Overpopulation, Theories ofOverpopulation TheoriesDown to the end of the eighteenth century, very little attention was given to the relation between ... |
OviedoOviedo(OVETENSIS) This diocese comprises the civil province of the same name (the ancient Kingdom ... |
Owen, SaintSt. Ouen(OWEN; DADON, Latin Audaenus ). Archbishop of Rouen, b. at Sancy, near Soissons about ... |
Owen, Saint NicholasSt. Nicholas OwenA Jesuit lay-brother, martyred in 1606. There is no record of his parentage, birthplace, date ... |
Oxenford, JohnJohn OxenfordDramatist, critic, translator, and song-writer, b. in London, 12 Aug., 1812; d. there 21 Feb., ... |
Oxenham, Henry NutcombeHenry Nutcombe OxenhamAn English controversialist and poet, born at Harrow, 15 Nov., 1829; died at Kensington, 23 ... |
OxfordOxfordOxford, one of the most ancient cities in England, grew up under the shadow of a convent, said to ... |
Oxford Movement, TheThe Oxford Movement (1833-1845)The Oxford Movement may be looked upon in two distinct lights. "The conception which lay at its ... |
Oxford, University ofUniversity of OxfordI. ORIGIN AND HISTORY The most extraordinary myths have at various times prevailed as to the ... |
OxyrynchusOxyrynchusTitular archdiocese of Heptanomos in Egypt. It was the capital of the district of its name, the ... |
Ozanam, Antoine-FrédéricAntoine-Frederic OzanamGreat grand-nephew of Jacques Ozanam . Born at Milan, 23 April, 1813; died at Marseilles, 8 ... |
Ozanam, JacquesJacques OzanamA French mathematician, born at Bouligneux (Ain), 1640; died in Paris, 3 April, 1717. He came of a ... |
OziasOzias" Yahweh is my strength", name of six Israelites mentioned in the Bible . (1) Ozias, King ... |
FREE Catholic Classes Pick a class, you can learn anything
- Trending Prayers:
- Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
- The Apostles' Creed
- Morning Prayer
- Act of Contrition
- Trending Saints:
- St. Mary Di Rosa
- St. Lucy
- St. Michael the Archangel
- St. John of the Cross
Copyright 2019 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2019 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.