5 January 1968 – 14 May 2025
I met Sauli in the spring of 2018, just before I was received into full communion with the Church at Saint Henry’s Parish. Sauli was a member of Saint Mary’s Parish and had already spent twenty-three years as a Catholic. He was Catholic through and through and genuinely wished to live according to his faith. This corresponded closely to my own outlook, and although we spent much time together, Catholic integrity was never forgotten.
Sauli was intelligent and a good conversationalist, yet he also enjoyed solitude and gave the impression of being quiet and shy. He was particularly interested in history, and old medieval churches fascinated him. In addition, he spoke six languages. It was always enjoyable to share different activities with him, and after Sunday Mass we would usually go on an excursion somewhere.
Sauli devoted himself to helping his elderly and ailing mother, taking care of her daily needs as best he could. One morning he told her that he was going to rest for a while. When she later went to wake him, he did not awaken. He had passed away in his sleep due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
I was on a business trip in Scotland when I received a phone call I had never expected. Two weeks earlier we had interred his father’s urn beside Saint Lawrence’s Church in Lohja, and in a video I recorded, Sauli can be seen walking briskly, completely unaware of what lay ahead.
During Sunday Mass I lit a candle before the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Glasgow Cathedral, which happened to be next to my hotel. I wept throughout the entire Mass. The last message I received from Sauli had arrived a little more than twenty-four hours before his death. Knowing my fondness for the Spanish language, he had written it in Spanish: “Te amo para siempre.”
Sauli was able to visit his beloved church in Lohja one final time when I brought his urn there. His ashes were laid to rest beside his father on 16 August 2025, just moments before the beginning of our diocesan celebration.
Only now, some nine months later, am I able to write this memorial and express my gratitude for all the support I received.
Thank you, Father Martti, for the beautiful funeral service.
Thank you, Ann-Catrin Weckström, for fulfilling the musical wishes.
Thank you to everyone who stood by me at Saint Mary’s Church and for your kind words at the coffin. I know that Sauli would have wanted precisely you to accompany him on his final journey.
For Sauli
I want to thank you for our long journey together.
Thank you for nature walks, the songs of birds, the fragrance of flowers,
and the sunshine.
Thank you for long cycling trips, swimming excursions, and walks with dogs.
Thank you for ice cream, salty liquorice, and the moments we spent cooking together.
Thank you for our playful attempts at speaking Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese,
even though we did not really know those languages – but we certainly tried.
Thank you for our shared cultural interests, for art exhibitions,
and for finding peace within the shelter of medieval churches.
Thank you for your Catholic values, through which we were able
to enjoy so many precious moments together.
You held my hand, encouraged me, trusted me,
and knew how to rejoice in my happiness.
Thank you, Sauli, for always remembering to tell me that you loved me.
Querido, te amo para siempre.
Christel Monni