Bishop Raimo Goyarrola’s pastoral visitation reached the Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Oulu during the weekend of 17–19 April 2026.
A few months earlier, I had set aside time in my calendar for a skiing holiday through Oulu to the white snows of Lapland. The best skiing conditions in Sodankylä are usually found in April, and I was delighted to secure a reasonably priced return ticket from Rovaniemi to Pasila in Helsinki in the pet compartment of the car-carrying train for the end of April. It is a pleasant place to sleep, especially with the two small poodles I had borrowed from my daughter warming my feet.
The outward journey on Monday, a drive of 628 kilometres, had to be done by car because railway works in Oulu meant that the car train would not stop there for six months. The weather was excellent, the sun was shining, and there was very little traffic on the road. Spending six hours and forty-five minutes praying the Rosary and listening to music felt almost effortless.
On Wednesday I attended Mass and afterwards noticed the parish programme for the coming weekend on the church noticeboard. To my surprise, it included Bishop Raimo’s visitation. I had arrived in Oulu at exactly the right time. When I later told the bishop about this happy coincidence, he smiled and remarked that God arranges things as they are meant to be.
By now we have all noticed that we have an energetic and hardworking bishop. Just as during his visitation to Saint Henry’s Cathedral Parish a few months earlier, there would be four Masses celebrated by the bishop over the course of the weekend. I was grateful for this, since I would continue my journey to Sodankylä the following Monday and would then have no opportunity to attend Mass for almost two weeks.
Friday, 17 April – Mass before the youth evening and catechesis
I attended the Mass even though I can no longer claim to be particularly young. The celebration reflected the unique character of this parish and differed in many ways from what I am accustomed to at the cathedral. Occasionally it is refreshing to experience the liturgy in a different setting.
Whenever I visit Oulu, I also visit the parish church. The hymns are different from those at home, yet familiar enough for me to enjoy singing them. On this occasion, a group of cheerful school-age boys led the singing and provided guitar accompaniment. I know this style is not to everyone’s taste, but I see it as a sign of the richness and diversity of our Church. The liturgy itself remains the same as in the cathedral, celebrated in familiar languages but adapted to the local community.
The reading was proclaimed by a young man whom I had already noticed at the Wednesday Mass. The responsorial psalm (Psalm 27) was sung by a girl whose extraordinarily beautiful voice I remembered from an earlier visit: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord.” I only wished the psalm had been longer.
Bishop Raimo genuinely loves children and young people. One sees it in the natural and warm way he encounters them, placing himself in their position and encouraging them to support one another and remain united. In his homily he also spoke about prayer and its power. Prayer, he explained, can be offered in joy and sorrow, alone or with others, in many places and in many ways. Pointing toward the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, he reminded us that Jesus is always present there, waiting for us. Prayer is a path to heaven.
The most important thing, he said, is to pray every day: to give thanks, to ask forgiveness when necessary, and to remember others in our prayers. Bishop Raimo also asked us to pray for peace in the world.
Saturday, 18 April
The programme for the visitation day looked intensive. It began at 8:30 in the morning and concluded with Mass shortly after 6:30 in the evening.
Before Mass, a woman originally from Italy sat beside me and began a conversation. We had never met before, but when she returned to her place she warmly shook my hand and wished me a blessed Mass and a pleasant holiday. After Mass I spent a long time talking with parishioners. Someone recognised me, and soon a lively group had gathered around us.
This sense of community is something that stands out among Catholics generally, and especially in Oulu, where the parish is close-knit and welcoming. Some people even speak the same dialect as my children, who were born in Oulu and lived there until adulthood.
The upper windows of the church are positioned so that the evening sun shines directly toward the clergy and altar servers, occasionally dazzling them. “Thank God the sun is shining and we can get some vitamin D after the winter,” Bishop Raimo laughed.
The Gospel we would hear again the following day opened up in a completely new way through the bishop’s homily. Two disciples walked sorrowfully along the road to Emmaus. Christ’s body had disappeared. Jesus joined them and listened to them, and gradually their hearts opened to his love. As evening approached, they invited him to stay with them, still not understanding who he truly was.
“When he was at table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he vanished from their sight.”
Sunday, 19 April – The Church’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations
On Saturday evening I decided that since I had travelled all this way, I would set my alarm and begin Sunday with the English-language Mass before attending the principal Mass in Finnish.
The parish was celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its church. Bishop Raimo expressed his gratitude that Oulu has its own church and parish, something that brings joy to the entire diocese. The parish continues to grow, and it is wonderful that daily Mass can be celebrated there. The community is culturally and linguistically rich, consisting of members from approximately thirty-five different nationalities.
At the English-language Mass I happened to sit in a place where photography was difficult. It was my turn to receive vitamin D from the morning sun, and I felt that sunglasses would not have been out of place. The Mass was solemn, accompanied by a hymnbook titled Celebration Hymnal for Everyone. This time the music was led with a harmonium, which added to the festive atmosphere.
The highlight of the weekend was the principal Finnish Mass. I particularly enjoyed the local Oulu character that shone through. Lucia’s strong and versatile voice, together with the guitar accompaniment, created a joyful and sincere atmosphere characteristic of the Holy Family Parish.
The parish is blessed with talented young readers. Special thanks must go to the angel-voiced young woman who once again sang the responsorial psalm (Psalm 16). This time the psalm was pleasantly long—thanks be to God. “Lord, you show me the path of life.” I also finally learned her name: Evelina.
In his homily Bishop Raimo reflected on the Emmaus Gospel. He pointed out that the disciples were leaving Jerusalem, which in Scripture symbolises heaven and communion with God. To leave Jerusalem is, in a sense, to move away from God. The disciples were understandably sad and disappointed. Jesus was the Messiah, and yet he had died. They could not understand why the story had ended in death. They were fleeing from Jerusalem and from God.
The bishop reminded us that life is not easy for anyone, and that we often do not understand why God allows suffering and difficulties. “At the beginning of Mass we pray, ‘Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy.’ In that prayer we also receive mercy for our sorrows and troubles.”
Jesus suddenly joined the disciples and listened to their grief. They opened their hearts to him, and he explained that everything had happened according to God’s plan.
The bishop described the Mass as having three parts. In the penitential rite we place all our worries into God’s hands and prepare for the Eucharist. In the Liturgy of the Word we sit quietly and listen to God speaking to us. It is beneficial to prepare for Mass by reading the Scriptures beforehand. The third part is the Eucharist, where the Word of God becomes bread. Through the miracle of the Holy Spirit, bread becomes the Body of Christ and wine becomes his Blood. Bishop Raimo emphasised that the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist together constitute the Mass.
After Jesus had explained the Scriptures and evening was approaching, the disciples’ hearts were filled with grace. Still unaware that they had been walking with Jesus himself, they invited him to remain with them. Only when he broke the bread were their eyes opened. They recognised his voice and saw the wounds in his hands.
“We need churches, beautiful buildings, paintings and icons,” Bishop Raimo said, “but this is the living Church. This is the Eucharist. This is you.”
Our task is to read the Scriptures every day, through which God speaks to us, and to receive the Eucharist, the living food that sustains us.
The disciples encountered Jesus, shared in the Eucharist, and returned to Jerusalem, the symbol of heaven. There they joined the other apostles and Peter. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was also among them. This is an image of unity—the fruit and condition of the Eucharist. Unity is a richness that includes different languages, cultures, and charisms. Unity means respecting one another.
Toward New Encounters with Jesus
It is Monday morning once again. Ahead of me lies a 350-kilometre drive to Kelujärvi in Sodankylä, to “Koivikko,” the home of my late spouse and parents-in-law.
My heart is once more open and nourished by the love of Jesus. If the snow has melted and skiing is no longer possible, the quiet forest will still provide a place for reflection. Ahead lies a ten-day private retreat during which I can return with gratitude to the events of the past weekend and focus on listening to the voice of God.
Christel Monni