Summertime in Rovaniemi

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 culture. You can also attend confirmation school as an adult. Confirmation is organized after the school or camp. Those who have been confirmed have the right to act as godparents, participate in communion independently and run for office in parish elections. Ecclesiastical ordination can be obtained by completing school or camp. You can come to confirmation school even if you don’t belong to the church. In order to be confirmed, you must be christened and a member of the church. 

A 12- to 14-year-old can be christened and joined as a member of the church with their own written consent. The priest in charge of the schooling and confirmation camp will help you with all practical matters. Confirmation school is open to both young people and those who have reached adulthood! Young people register for confirmation camp a year earlier in the spring. Adult confirmation school can be started at any time.

Hidden God

In the Western Church, it was decreed in 1334 that the Sunday after Pentecost be celebrated as the feast of the Holy Trinity. The message of the holy day encapsulates the church’s teaching about God’s trinity. The day of the Holy Trinity is the day of confession. The biblical texts speak of God’s hidden essence, which surpasses all human understanding. God is one, but he has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He acts as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. Faith does not deal with God’s essence knowingly, but by wondering, praising and proclaiming his acts of mercy.

Perishable and imperishable treasures

The content of this week’s Sunday is imperishable heavenly treasures and on the other hand perishable and deceitful earthly riches. The pursuit of riches leads to actions that grow out of selfishness, the love of God leads to a life of service according to his will. In that Christ is our example. He was rich but became poor to make us rich.

We recommend

You can also listen to the text here