Rovaniemi Parish

Rovaniemi Church is open from Monday to Friday @11:00-14:00 when priest is also available in the church. Wednesday services start @18:00. Sunday Masses start @10:00. Warmly Welcome! 

Autumn time in Rovaniemi Rovaniemi Church is open 11:00–13:00 from Monday to Friday when also priest is available. Wednesday services start @18:00 and Sunday Masses @10:00. The activities of the autumn season have started and two themes emerge from the calendar of the church year at the turn of August and September, which we should always remember and keep in mind: Neighbor With his life and teachings, Jesus was an example of God’s love, which transcends all boundaries. This role model obliges us to see in every person our neighbor. From Christ we also get the strength to do good deeds for our neighbors. Man himself is not always aware that when he does good, he acts as an intermediary for God’s love. Gratitude This saint speaks of gratitude and ingratitude. Jesus did good especially to people rejected by others. Of the people he helped, only a few came back to thank him and confess their faith in him. Others were bothered by the fact that Jesus did not act the way they wanted, but he

Summer theologist Pyry Puurunen: Absolute freedom has become our most sacred value and any constraint on it the greatest of sins. What freedom means to us is removal of all restrictions. The less constraint on our desires, choices and actions, the freer we are. But such freedom doesn’t exist, it’s an illusion. Freedom experienced in real life is not so simple. If a fresh retiree wants to retain the freedom to move about independently for the next couple decades, they have to let go of some freedoms and commit to regular strength training. They choose to let go of the lesser freedom of being a couch potato to gain the greater freedom of living a longer and healthier life. So freedom is not simply life without restrictions, but finding the right kind of restrictions that create freedom. We decide to suffer lesser losses of freedom to gain greater freedom. Letting go of smaller freedoms in our lifestyle to reach a different kind of freedom is not the only area where this principle applies

Summer theologist Anna Kinnunen: This Sunday’s theme is the law of love; “Jesus Christ came to fulfill God’s will and command, not to depose them. On that score christians are to follow the law of love.” The theme highlights at the same time the duty of a christian to follow the laws God has placed and Jesus’ position as an executor of God’s will.  The gospel text’s third volume (Luke 6:27–31) depicts a scene where Jesus addresses his Disciples and urges them to treat their neighbors with love and good will. People should follow Jesus’ example and go out of their way to love their enemies and tormentors. At the end of the gospel text Jesus notes; “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This ethical guideline is surely very familiar to several from different contexts. The golden rule is at the center of many different religions’ ethical beliefs. As humans it might be easier to think that we should just treat other people kindly and as equals. However, Jesus goes further than th

Rovaniemi church is open Summertime 2024 from May 27th until September 1st @9:00-21:00 when guide is on call. Priest is available Mon-Fri @11:00-14:00. Services start Wednesdays @18:00 and Sundays @10:00. Welcome to Summer Wednesdays Music Moments from June 5th until August 7th on Wed @13:00. On the cover of our church magazine: Rovaniemi parish’s mobile youth space, or Apostle’s Ride (Apostolinkyyti in Finnish) camper van performs important tasks. Operation Boot (Saapas in Finnish) and the parish’s youth workers meet young people, hand out water and fried sausages, for example, after school graduation ceremonies. Apostle’s Ride also visits youth at Norvajärvi camp and course center confirmation camps during the summer. During the semesters, Apostle’s Ride visits schools. (Magazine Cover Photo: Maija Hagberg) You are a miracle! Nine out of ten young people attend a confirmation school in Rovaniemi every year. It is an important stage on the way to adulthood and part of Finnish youth c

Easter will be presented and described in the parish magazine this year based on short questions and answers. What is the meaning of Easter? Easter is the most important holiday of Christianity, which is celebrated for many days. At Easter, Christians celebrate Jesus who conquered death. Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. What happened at Easter? Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. The women who came to Jesus’ tomb noticed that the tomb was empty. Jesus atoned for people’s sins with his death, defeated death and ascended to heaven. This is how salvation came to all Christians. What does Good Friday mean? Good Friday is a Christian holiday, during which we remember and mourn the death of Jesus. On Good Friday 2,000 years ago, religious and political leaders arrested Jesus because he was said to be the son of God and king of the Jews. Word Good means here also God and holy. What is celebrated on Maundy Thursday? Maundy Thursday is celebrated to commemorate th