Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki has appealed for greater international support as Finland’s Catholic population experiences striking growth despite limited financial and pastoral infrastructure. The bishop, currently traveling through the United States to raise funds, described his diocese as a mission Church shaped by extraordinary demographic change. With Catholics comprising only a small fraction of the population, the recent influx of immigrants and refugees has transformed parish life, bringing together more than one hundred twenty nationalities and several Eastern Catholic rites. This diversity offers a rich expression of global Catholic identity, yet it also presents challenges in catechesis, formation and community building. The bishop emphasized that the rapid expansion of the Catholic presence requires expanded pastoral structures, including a much needed Catholic school and a centralized pastoral center to coordinate social outreach across the country’s vast geography.
The needs of the faithful have been compounded by the limited number of Catholic parishes, which currently total eight across a territory nearly the size of Montana. Many communities must travel long distances to attend Mass, a situation that has prompted significant reliance on rented worship spaces from Lutheran and Orthodox churches. While such cooperation has encouraged strong ecumenical relationships, the financial strain remains significant, particularly in Helsinki, where rental costs for a larger Lutheran church exceed twelve thousand euros each month. The vicar general of the diocese, Father Jean Claude Kabeza, described parishioners standing outside St. Henry’s Cathedral during winter Masses due to lack of space, a vivid illustration of the pastoral pressures created by the diocese’s sudden growth. He noted that more than three hundred adults are currently preparing for baptism, a development that signals both spiritual vitality and the urgent need for expanded capacity.
Despite these challenges, Bishop Goyarrola highlighted the country’s atmosphere of ecumenical cooperation as a sign of hope for future development. He described Finland as a paradise of ecumenism where Lutherans, Orthodox and Catholics routinely collaborate on liturgical and pastoral initiatives. Last year’s Marian procession in Helsinki drew nearly four hundred participants from the three traditions, with priests, bishops and choirs joining together in a public demonstration of shared devotion. This environment of mutual respect has helped sustain the Catholic community during years of limited resources, offering a model of unity that strengthens the broader Christian witness in a highly secular society. As the bishop continues his fundraising mission abroad, he hopes that international solidarity will allow the Church in Finland to meet its expanding pastoral responsibilities, provide adequate worship spaces and ensure that new Catholics receive the spiritual and educational support they need. The rapid growth of the Church, he said, is a blessing that must be met with renewed commitment to formation, community building and long term pastoral planning.
