It is not often that an encounter in the sacristy of a Lutheran cathedral leads to a procession of the Cross making its way along a pavement in the heart of Savo, carrying an icon of the Mother of God and praying the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Such a moment of grace was experienced in Kuopio this autumn.
In January 2026, amid the winter cold, we observed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Kuopio. On 21 January, the main celebration of the week was held at Kuopio Cathedral, where, by God’s providence, I had gone to substitute for our parish priest, Provost Timo Honkaselkä. A large group of local pastors had gathered in the sacristy, representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Methodists, Pentecostals, the Free Church and the Salvation Army. It was there that the parish priest of St Joseph’s Parish, Father Donbosco Thomas, approached me with a broad and warm smile. Speaking privately, he suggested that we might plan something together between our two parishes.
It was not long before we put the idea into action. Father Donbosco and I eventually decided to organise a joint procession of the Cross in honour of the Mother of God, the Ever-Virgin Mary. At first, following the example of Helsinki, we hoped to hold the procession on the Nativity of the Mother of God (8 September), but for scheduling reasons the date fittingly chosen was the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the honourable and life-giving Cross of the Lord (14 September). An invitation to this historic collaboration was circulated, among other ways, in the form of the beautiful poster shown here.
On Sunday, 13 September, following the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas Cathedral in Kuopio, celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Arseni of Kuopio and Karelia, and the principal Mass at St Joseph’s Church, we gathered at St Joseph’s at 2 p.m. Our time together began in a dignified and moving way when Father Donbosco read a greeting sent to those taking part in the procession by the Bishop of Helsinki, Monsignor Raimo Goyarrola.
For my part, I had the pleasure of telling those present about the Konevitsa Icon of the Mother of God. St Arseni of Konevitsa brought this icon from Mount Athos in 1393, first to Novgorod and later to the island of Konevitsa, where – after putting an end to the pagan worship of idols – he founded a monastery dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God. Today, a copy of this icon is kept at Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi, and our procession carried a copy of that copy. Our Catholic brothers and sisters may find it interesting to note that the icon’s composition may have its origins in the so-called Sterbini Diptych in the Museo di Palazzo Venezia in Rome.
Once the procession had set out, we prayed the Holy Rosary and its Glorious Mysteries for almost the entire journey. As a guest, I would particularly like to express my gratitude and admiration for St Joseph’s Parish and its clergy: the Catholic parish was represented in the procession in gratifyingly large numbers, considerably outnumbering those from our own cathedral parish.
Our journey continued pleasantly through a light drizzle until we reached St Nicholas Cathedral, where we celebrated the Akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God. The Akathist is a hymn of thanksgiving composed in Constantinople in the seventh century in commemoration of victory over the Persians and Avars, a victory believed to have been aided by the Mother of God. The word Akathist itself means “not sitting” in Greek: we therefore remain standing throughout this beautiful service in honour of the Mother of God. It was a great spiritual joy to celebrate the Akathist together with Father Donbosco and Father Daniele Giacchetto, taking turns to read its kontakia and ikoi.
If I may offer a small observation in comparative liturgy, it is heart-warming to notice how the Holy Rosary and the Litany of Loreto contain the very same titles and words of praise for the Virgin Mary as the Akathist of the Eastern tradition. We stand before a mystery that we share.
I pray and hope that, God willing, this procession will become a regular and cherished tradition for us – a way of blessing the whole city of Kuopio together and proclaiming the great mystery of God becoming man.
Pastor Otto Laukkarinen
Orthodox Parish of Kuopio