“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
My heart is filled with joy and hope as I write to you in this time of grace that the Lord has given us. Our diocese has received a great blessing: new communities are growing, young families and children are increasing in number, and more and more immigrants and refugees are finding their place in our Church. We are growing rapidly in terms of membership – but as you all know, spiritual and pastoral growth does not always go hand in hand with financial resources.
Thanks to the generosity of many of you, our parishes have been able to maintain their essential activities, sustain liturgical life, and continue works of mercy. For this, I am deeply grateful. But the current challenges go beyond our ordinary means. The war in Ukraine and other emerging uncertainties are also affecting Finland’s economy negatively. In this situation, I turn to each of you in humility – but also with trust in your good and open hearts – to ask for your additional financial support.
Why are we asking for help?
Daily expenses
- Maintaining the structures of our parishes and diocese – including the salaries of employees in various departments – and helping our poorest neighbours requires ongoing financial commitment. In these difficult times, this becomes even more demanding.
New pastoral and evangelising projects
- Acquiring a new church to meet the growing needs in the capital region: dozens of families currently gather without a proper church space for Mass and other events.
- Establishing a diocesan training centre in Espoo: this will be a place for encounters, study, and community growth for laypeople, families, and various groups.
- Founding a Catholic school: our hope is that it will grow into a beacon for the new generation – a place that offers both education and formation grounded in the values of the Gospel.
These dreams and goals have arisen from shared prayer and from a desire to respond faithfully to the needs of our time. But we cannot realise them without you.
How can you help?
No donation is too small when given out of love. We ask each of you to consider making an additional financial contribution according to your means. In particular, I would ask that during this Easter season, every adult Catholic donate 50 euros to the diocesan account. We also encourage you to pray for these projects and to support them in your local communities.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Church is a family and a home. And like in every family, each member is important. I invite you to take part actively in this time of sowing, trusting that the Lord will reward all that is done out of love for Him and for His Kingdom.
My prayers and blessing for you all,
+ Raimo Goyarrola
Bishop of Helsinki
Account: Katolinen kirkko Suomessa, FI37 2219 3800 0043 24 (NDEAFIHH)