Árdís - 01.01.1958, Page 30

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ÁRDÍ S
Angel Bay
By LILJA EYLANDS
When my husband and I visited Iceland in 1956 in connection
with the Skalholt festivities, we were privileged to tour various
parts of the country. One particular day with a special visit stands
out clearly in my memory. Two brothers, friends of our hosts in
Reykjavík graciously offered to take them and us on a day’s trip
in their automobile, and we were to choose the place we would
like to see. We were delighted and agreed that we would like to
see the church at Angel Bay (Stranda kirkja) where we had not
been before. It is situated on the south coast not too distant for
a day’s journey back and forth from Reykjavík.
This little church has an exceptional background and is at the
present time one of the wealthiest churches in Iceland. This is
not due to the number of people in the parish, who now number
less than 100 souls, but rather to conditional pledges which have
been made to it from the time of its inception. ‘Conditional pledges’
means that people pledge money in large or small amounts to
the church if they are particularly desirous of having a wish ful-
filled. It is common belief, not traditional, but very real, that such
a pledge brings the fulfillment of their wishes and desires. Truly,
it seems to work just that way. Hundreds of pledges are received
annually. The funds thus derived are used, of course, for the
maintenance of the church building as a place of worship and as
a shrine for an ever-increasing number of visitors. Money from
its funds are also loaned to other parishes for the purpose of
building new churches or repairing old ones.
It was on the morning of a beautiful warm sunny day, July
the 31st, that we started out. At noon we partook of a sumptuous
meal in a lovely roadhouse owned and operated as a summer
dwelling place by the Seventh Day Adventists. In the early after-
noon we arrived at our destination, the church at Angel Bay. The
sight of it thrilled us, and brought to mind the many stories we
had heard about it even from childhood. It stands on a hill sur-