Brita Lucie Collett Paus (3 July 1917 as Brita Lucie Collett – 28 June 1998) was a Norwegian humanitarian leader and the founder of Fransiskushjelpen

Fransiskushjelpen

Fransiskushjelpen is a Catholic charitable organisation in Norway, founded in by Brita Collett Paus in 1956.It is connected to the Franciscan order....

, a Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 charitable organisation in Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. She led the organisation from 1956 until 1993.

She converted to Catholicism in 1950, and served as chair of the Laity Council of the Catholic Diocese of Oslo, as board member of Caritas

Caritas (charity)

Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....

 in Norway from 1965 and member of governmental committees.

She was married to orthopedic surgeon Bernhard Paus

Bernhard Paus

Bernhard Cathrinus Paus was a Norwegian orthopedic surgeon and the Grand Master of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons from 1969 to 1990.-Biography:...

, the Grand Master of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons

Norwegian Order of Freemasons

The Norwegian Order of Freemasons is the Masonic Grand Lodge in Norway. The first lodge was opened in 1749 and is still working. The Grand Lodge has followed the Swedish Rite since 1818, which requires its members to adhere to Christianity...

. Their daughter Lucie Paus Falck

Lucie Paus Falck

Lucie Paus Falck is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 1989–1993...

 became a politician.

Her family, Collett

Collett

-People:*Collett Baronets, a title in the Baronetage of the United KingdomSurname*Andy Collett, English footballer*Anthony Collett, English author*Ben Collett, English footballer*Camilla Collett, Norwegian author*Charles Collett, British mechanical engineer...

, a wealthy mercantile family, immigrated from England in 1683.

Honours

• Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
• St. Hallvard Medal
• She also received decorations from the Vatican, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Red Cross etc.

Literature

• Fransiskushjelpen. 2006.