In the series of episcopal visitations carried out by Bishop Raimo, it was the turn of Saint Olav’s Parish in Jyväskylä on March 27–29.
The bishop arrived in Jyväskylä already on Friday evening, when he visited a private home together with the parish clergy. The visit included dinner which, during this season of Lent and on a day of abstinence, consisted of fish. At the same time, the cleanliness of the children’s rooms—cleaned by the children themselves—was also “inspected,” as a kind of preparatory exercise for the following day: “Good work, the grade is 9,” was the bishop’s assessment.
The actual episcopal visitation began on Saturday morning with Mass at 10 a.m. In his brief homily, Bishop Raimo reminded us of what a privilege it is to have a tabernacle and a church in one’s city. He noted how, as he travels around Finland, he has observed that Mass often has to be celebrated in a variety of places, even in sports halls. “If you do not have time to attend Mass on weekdays, at least spend five minutes before the tabernacle, and remember also to pray to our heavenly Mother, the Virgin Mary, whose womb was the first tabernacle,” the bishop reminded the faithful.
After Mass, the actual inspection of the parish premises, as well as the liturgical books and items, began, with Erkki Luoma-aho, a member of the finance council, acting as secretary.
First, the bishop familiarized himself with the church premises, which were found to be largely functional. However, he made an interesting observation. Although the church is dedicated to Saint Olav, there is no statue or painting depicting him. Only a stained-glass window depicting the saint was found in the corridor near the confessional. An interesting observation, which in its own way also surprised us locals. When one becomes accustomed to something, one no longer thinks to question it. Is this matter in order, as the 1000th anniversary of Saint Olav’s death will be celebrated in 2030? At least efforts are being made in this direction, taking into account the fact that the church and its interior are protected under the Act on the Protection of the Built Heritage.
The liturgical items, vestments and relics required for the celebration of Mass were also found to be sufficient and in good condition. In particular, the collection of relics and vestments was considered so extensive that the bishop suggested considering whether some items might be donated to other parishes.
The bishop also became acquainted with local ecumenical cooperation, which in Jyväskylä is well established and functions well. Present for discussion with the bishop were, representing the Lutherans, parish priest Arto Viitala, and representing the free churches, Aki Liukko, vice chairman of the Baptist Church. The Pope has stated that Finland is a model country for ecumenism. The warm-hearted meeting on Saturday afternoon was an excellent example of this.
The bishop had also reserved time on Saturday for personal meetings with members of various councils, musicians, altar servers and parishioners.
Palm Sunday
The episcopal visitation culminated in the Palm Sunday procession and the pontifical Mass. After the blessing of the palm branches, the procession set out from the church courtyard, circling the neighboring block, while the choir sang the hymn “Hosanna, Son of David,” a hymn which we in Finland are accustomed to singing mainly during Advent, although its text is also well suited to the celebration of Palm Sunday.
As the procession reached the church doors, the chant “Pueri Hebraeorum, portantes ramos olivarum, obviaverunt Domino, clamantes et dicentes: Hosanna in excelsis” was heard, that is, “The children of the Hebrews went to meet the Lord on the way, carrying olive branches. They cried out, saying: Hosanna in the highest.”
A record number of people had gathered for the Mass celebrated by the bishop. This had been anticipated, as instead of the usual two Masses (Finnish and English), only one was offered, and the bishop rarely has the opportunity to celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week outside his cathedral, Saint Henry’s Cathedral. As the church filled to capacity, some of the faithful were directed to the parish hall, where for the first time in the parish’s history the Mass could be followed via live broadcast on screens. In this way, everyone was able to participate in one way or another. The distribution of Holy Communion was also organized so that, of the three celebrants, Fr. Dominic distributed Communion in the parish hall, while the bishop and parish priest Fr. Anders distributed it in the church.
After the Passion narrative, the bishop, as part of his homily, taught about the three meanings of the altar: on Holy Thursday the altar represents the institution of the Eucharist, on Good Friday the altar is the tomb of Jesus, from which on Easter Sunday he rises. Thus the altar, at which the Mass is celebrated, always contains within it the whole mystery of Easter. The bishop also reminded the faithful of the growth of the Church and of Jesus’ faithfulness: “We have a beautiful and growing Church – there are many conversions. Let us always remain faithful to Jesus. In the end, he gives us everything we need.”
After the shared lunch, the bishop had again reserved time for personal meetings with parishioners, as on Saturday. This was a sign that the bishop is not a distant dignitary, but a shepherd who wishes to be close to his people. There was constantly a line around him—some wished to speak, others to receive a blessing. As the afternoon wore on, the only concern was whether the bishop himself would have time to taste any of the dishes from the buffet, prepared through the joint efforts of many.
The entire Saint Olav’s Parish is grateful to our bishop, who builds and nurtures communion, and for his visit to Jyväskylä—as parish priest Fr. Anders noted in his words of thanks.
Heikki Paavisto and Erkki Luoma-aho