During the Christmas celebrations, we met the parish church of St. Brigid and Blessed Hemming in Turku, Finland. An ethnically diverse community with around 2,500 parishioners, from 70 countries.
In Finland, where Dehonians also serve, the parish community is very ethnically diverse. The parish church of St. Brigid and Blessed Hemming in Turku has about 2,500 parishioners. Interestingly, they come from 70 countries and speak about 40 languages! Fr. Piotr Gębara SCJ and Fr. Stanisław Zawiłowicz SCJ celebrated the Midnight Mass between December 24th and 25th in Finnish, which is the main language there. On December 25th, during the day, there were also Masses in English in Turku and Pori (140 km away). Dehonians also celebrate the Holy Mass there in Swedish, Latin, Polish, Vietnamese and Tagalog (Philippines). They serve in the diaspora, that is, in places far from Turku, such as the Åland Islands. What is also unusual is that Masses in the diaspora are held in Lutheran or Orthodox churches.
The ministry led by Dehonians in Finland is characterized by great cultural diversity. Fr. Stanisław Zawiłowicz SCJ, who comes from Poland, admits that there are days when a Polish priest celebrates a Catholic Mass in Finland in English, in a Lutheran church where parishioners from several dozen countries gather. Interestingly, after the Midnight Mass, all the parishioners stay for coffee and something sweet. In Turku, the tradition has been preserved since the Middle Ages that at noon on Christmas Eve, the city’s mayor announces ”the Peace of Christmas”. On Christmas Eve, there is also a fantastic traditon to go to the sauna.
