Bishop Robert Baron is rightfully acclaimed as an effective Catholic evangelist for our times. In addition to a brilliant intellect and engaging presence, through his “Word on Fire” apostolate, he quite successfully utilizes the full range of modern media to bring the fullness of the Gospel message and the Catholic Faith to believer and unbeliever alike. Thankfully, he is not alone in these efforts. Allow me to suggest that Bishop Erik Varden, a native Norwegian bishop, though perhaps less well known, is worthy of attention.
Bishop Varden is a convert to Catholicism, having been raised in a non-practicing Lutheran family in the south of Norway. After his initial studies, he enrolled at Magdalene College in Cambridge, England, in 1992. The following year, he entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. He subsequently obtained a doctorate at Cambridge and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. In 2002, he entered Mount St. Bernard Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Leicestershire, England, where after his solemn professions of vows (2007) and ordination to the priesthood (2011), he was elected the abbot (2015). In 2019, he was appointed by Pope Francis as the prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Trondheim, which had been without a bishop for ten years. He was the first Norwegian to be ordained a bishop in modern times, and he serves a region that has very few Catholics, fewer of whom are native Norwegians. This Trappist monk has embraced the role of bishop and evangelist.
Bishop Varden writes on Christian spirituality with a depth and wisdom that will reward the careful reader. Because of his broad knowledge of Western culture, his references may intimidate some, but they also offer the opportunity for a broad education. Some may have encountered his recent presentations on the Desert Fathers on the Hallow App. The Shattering of Loneliness: On Christian Remembrance, and his more recent book (2025), Healing Wounds: The 2025 Lent Book are both helpful and inspirational. If you think that the work of this monk-bishop-evangelist-spiritual master might be of interest to you, you might begin exploring his website: https://coramfratribus.com
