Johannes Ødegaard Dietrichson

Johannes Ødegaard Dietrichson was born in Elverum on 20 September 1885. His father was Bishop Gustav Dietrichson, and his mother was probably Magdalene Karen Fredrikke Ødegaard. He belongs to the branch descending from Lieutenant Colonel Erasmus Dietrichson.

He became parish priest in Herøy in 1913 and in Øvre Stjørdal in 1922. In 1925 he became provost, and in 1932 he became resident chaplain at Oslo Cathedral. From 1946 to 1955 he was parish priest and dean of the cathedral. He chaired the Church of Norway’s association of priests from 1946 to 1951 and the national committee of the Lutheran World Federation from 1950 to 1952. He sat on the committee for the restoration of the cathedral, wrote the cantata «Guds rike» for its reopening and took the initiative for a new Vår Frelsers chapel.

During the occupation the church had a provisional church leadership, established in 1942 after the bishops had given up their state offices. In 1943 the leadership went underground and was called the secret church leadership. Its members were anonymous, and only after the war did it become known who they were. Dietrichson was chairman from the spring of 1943 until the liberation in 1945. We have not found out who sat on the leadership with him, how he was chosen or what happened to him during the war.

He died in 1973. We have not found any details about a spouse, children or place of death.