# Diocese of Hamar

The Diocese of Hamar (Norwegian: Hamar Bispedømme) is a diocese within the Church of Norway. The Diocese of Hamar includes all of the churches in Innlandet county plus the churches in Lunner in Viken county. Administratively, the diocese is divided into 10 deaneries and 164 parishes in the diocese. The seat of the Diocese of Hamar is located at the Hamar Cathedral (Norwegian: Hamar domkirke) in the city of Hamar.

## History

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamar was formed in the year 1152 when it was separated from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christiania. At the time of the Protestant Reformation in Norway in 1536, the archbishop and the bishops were removed and the Diocese of Hamar once again came under the Diocese of Christiania within the new Lutheran Church of Norway. Mogens Lauritsson was the last Roman Catholic bishop of the Ancient Diocese of Hamar.
In 1864, the Lutheran Diocese of Hamar was established when it was separated from the Diocese of Christiania. Halvor Olsen Folkestad was the first bishop of this new Diocese of Hamar. Hamar Cathedral was consecrated on 15 December 1866 and it was established as the seat of the new Diocese of Hamar. On 1 January 2022, the churches in Jevnaker municipality were transferred to the Ringsaker prosti in the Diocese of Tunsberg.

## Structure

The Diocese of Hamar is divided into ten deaneries (Norwegian: Prosti) spread out over Innlandet and Viken counties. Each deanery corresponds a geographical area, usually one or more municipalities within the diocese. Each municipality is further divided into one or more parishes which each contain one or more congregations.
| Deanery (prosti) | Municipalities | County |
| Hamar domprosti | Hamar, Løten, Stange | Innlandet |
| Ringsaker prosti | Ringsaker | Innlandet |
| Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti | Kongsvinger, Eidskog, Sør-Odal, Nord-Odal, Grue, Åsnes, Våler | Innlandet |
| Sør-Østerdal prosti | Åmot, Elverum, Trysil, Engerdal, Stor-Elvdal | Innlandet |
| Nord-Østerdal prosti | Tynset, Alvdal, Folldal, Rendalen, Tolga, Os | Innlandet |
| Nord-Gudbrandsdal prosti | Dovre, Lesja, Lom, Nord-Fron, Sel, Skjåk, Vågå | Innlandet |
| Sør-Gudbrandsdal prosti | Gausdal, Lillehammer, Ringebu, Sør-Fron, Øyer | Innlandet |
| Toten prosti | Gjøvik, Østre Toten, Vestre Toten | Innlandet |
| Valdres prosti | Sør-Aurdal, Nord-Aurdal, Etnedal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang | Innlandet |
| Hadeland og Land prosti | Gran, Søndre Land, Nordre Land | Innlandet |
| Hadeland og Land prosti | Lunner | Viken |
| See also: List of churches in Hamar ||||

## List of bishops

The following bishops have led the diocese since its creation in 1864:
* 1864–1887: Halvor Olsen Folkestad
* 1887–1906: Arnoldus Hille
* 1906–1917: Christen Brun
* 1917–1918: Otto Jensen
* 1918–1922: Gustav Johan Fredrik Dietrichson
* 1922–1934: Mikkel Bjønness-Jacobsen
* 1934–1942: Henrik Hille
* 1942–1943: Georg Falck-Hansen (appointed by Nasjonal Samling)
* 1943–1945: Sigurd Haga (appointed by Nasjonal Samling)
* 1945–1947: Henrik Hille
* 1947–1964: Kristian Schjelderup
* 1964–1974: Alexander Johnson
* 1974–1993: Georg Hille
* 1993–2006: Rosemarie Köhn
* 2006–2023: Solveig Fiske
* 2023-present: Ole Kristian Bonden