Catholics in Finland are having to travel hundreds of miles to reach Mass as the country’s only diocese struggles to meet the needs of a growing and scattered flock.
Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki described the intense logistical challenges facing his priests.
“Every weekend we cover thousands of kilometres to bring the heavenly food to our faithful,” he said. “There are many families who ask to have tabernacles in the village, but there is no church.”
The Diocese of Helsinki, which covers all of Finland, spans 340,000 square kilometres (211,266 square miles) – making it one of the largest dioceses in Europe in terms of area. Despite this, there are only eight parishes with 28 priests attempting to minister to a Catholic population that has grown to nearly 25,000 people (including 10,000 who are “unregistered”). Many are immigrants, refugees or international workers.
“In Finland, a Catholic will often find themself the only one in his school or place of work,” the bishop said. “Despite this, Catholics don’t hide and are not afraid to let the people around them know that they are Catholics, or to speak to them about Christ.”
While the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Eastern Orthodox Church receive financial support through the country's tax system, the Catholic Church is too small to qualify.
“Unlike other churches in the country, we do not receive state support and are therefore very poor,” Bishop Goyarrola explains.
According to the bishop, this lack of financial support affects every part of the Church’s mission in Finland. It means there is not enough money to build new churches or chapels, while existing Catholic schools and catechetical centres remain unfunded and even the salaries for essential staff are difficult to maintain.
Lutheran and Orthodox churches across Finland regularly lend their buildings to Catholic priests on Sundays to compensate for the situation. Bishop Goyarrola expressed gratitude for this ecumenical generosity.
A Catholic parishioner of the Diocese of Helsinki, called Lottoman, spoke to the Catholic Herald about the practical hardships facing many rural Catholics.
“Living in a big city is fine, although the churches are old and relatively small. Every church is full on Sundays, often across multiple Mass times, so expansion is clearly needed," Lottoman says.
“The long distances in this country also mean that if you live outside the cities, you might only have access to the sacraments once a month or not at all."
Finland ranks 13th globally on the UN’s Human Development Index, meaning it is a wealthy nation, but its small Catholic minority lives in relative poverty compared to the rest of the population – materially, but not spiritually though.
Despite these challenges, Catholic life in Finland shows signs of quiet resilience and spiritual renewal. The faithful, according to their bishop, are “missionaries and apostles everywhere they go”.
He also reports a growing demand for adult baptisms, while noting how youth camps in Lapland are helping to form a new generation of faithful Catholics.
“Carrying 30kg rucksacks and walking together in the rain or snow in breathtaking countryside creates deep friendships, conversions and a strengthened faith,” Bishop Goyarrola says.
Photo: The town church in Enonkoski, Finland, 17 June 2021. (Photo by ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO/AFP via Getty Images.)
