Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse, Texas

inside the church sanctuary at Christmastime

Vår Frelsers Kirke, founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1869, has become famous in Texas for its annual November smorgasbord.

In 1869, a group of Norwegian immigrants to the United States led by Cleng Peerson (the "Father of Norwegian Immigration") founded Vår Frelsers Kirke, a small Lutheran church in Bosque County, Texas. The church was built to serve the spiritual needs of the settlers in the region, and conducted services in Norwegian.

Vår Frelsers Kirke, or Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse, is a recognized Texas Historical Site, and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In 2019 the church celebrated its 150th anniversary! Though today services are held in English, Our Savior's is still a center for Norwegian culture and heritage in central Texas, and is home to a world-famous
smorgasbord!

the Norwegian Church in Texas

I visited the church for the first time last winter during the annual Norwegian Country Christmas festival held in nearby Clifton, Texas. Clifton is recognized as the "Norwegian Capital of Texas", and the annual festival celebrates its Norwegian immigrant heritage. One of the most popular events of the festival is the self-guided tour to the major Norwegian landmarks in and around Clifton.

the Norwegian flag is displayed at the church as a sign of its history and heritage

I entered the church on a dry, windy winter's afternoon. My family and I were given a free tour of the beautiful old building, complete with a telling of the history of the church and the original Norwegian settlers.

sanctuary at Our Savior's Church at Norse

As a very special treat, we were even allowed to ring the bell! Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse has two bells, one bright, cheerful bell for announcing weddings and regular services, and another deeper, more somber bell for ringing during funerals. We were told that the deeper bell gets rung once for every year of the deceased's life during a funeral. I think that is beautiful.

a stained glass window inside the church

If you pay a visit to the Norwegian church just outside of Clifton, Texas, don't miss a walk through the church cemetery. Many of the old Norwegian settlers are buried there, and it's an important piece of Texas's immigrant history.

Just outside of the cemetery is a monument dedicated to those original Norwegian settlers who crossed the sea and brought a little piece of Europe to the Texas Hill Country.

Before leaving, we visited the church hall, where the parishioners were selling traditional Norwegian-style handicrafts and some of the most delicious smorgasbord snacks you'll ever taste! Unfortunately, I didn't get to attend the smorgasbord, but I did have the absolute pleasure of tasting some amazing lefse (potato pancakes). I even bought a copy of the church's official smorgasbord cookbook for myself. (Seriously, if you are going to be in Texas during the winter, don't miss the amazing Norwegian Country Christmas festival!)

a monument to the original Norwegian settlers who emigrated to Texas in 1854

• You can learn more about the annual smorgasbord at the church's website: https://oursaviorsnorse.org/smorgasbord.html
• Visit Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse in the winter, when it takes part in the annual Norwegian Country Christmas Festival in Clifton, Texas! This fun festival celebrates the Norwegian cultural roots and history of Clifton and the surrounding towns with a parade, a tour to several historical sites, and lots of delicious food. http://www.visitclifton.org/page/country-christmas.aspx

Getting to the church:

Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse is located in the Texas Hill Country just outside of the little town of Clifton. The nearest town is Clifton. The church is easily visited as part of a day trip from Waco or Austin, two of the nearest cities.