In November 2025, during a pilgrimage, I decided to familiarise myself with the activities that the Catholic Church offers to the at least 500 Catholics living in Swedish- and Finnish-speaking Ostrobothnia.
My host was the newly appointed Catholic priest responsible for the area, Father Leonard Wobilla Shwei. Together with him, I had the opportunity to visit all the places where our beloved Catholic Church is active in the region. The area, a kind of “diaspora”, forms part of Holy Cross Parish in Tampere (Pyhän Ristin seurakunta). In Tampere, the parish priest is Father Tri Nguyen and his assistant is Father Chien Nguyen, both of Vietnamese origin.
The Ostrobothnian “diaspora” covers a fairly large geographical area with several local cultures, different population groups, a rich history, and conservative values among both the local population and immigrants. Historically, Ostrobothnia had a strong militaristic and local-nationalist character, shaped by the Jäger movement, the White Guard and the Patriotic People’s Movement (IKL), a movement with a military and partly fascist character. Volunteer Ostrobothnians fought on the White side in the Civil War of 1918 and were among the first to face the Soviet Union in the Winter War of 1939–1940.
It is within this historical legacy that Father Leonard now exercises his ministry. He comes originally from northern Cameroon, a region where several Islamist terrorist organisations, such as Boko Haram, are active.
A bilingual and increasingly international region
The distances between the places of ministry – Vaasa (Vasa), Seinäjoki, Pietarsaari (Jakobstad) and Kokkola (Karleby) – are long, in some cases several hundred kilometres. Pietarsaari and Kokkola are bilingual (Swedish and Finnish), whereas Seinäjoki is entirely Finnish-speaking. In Vaasa, almost 25 per cent of the population belongs to the Swedish-speaking minority.
The area entrusted to Father Leonard is strongly characterised by internationalisation, both through business life and through greenhouse cultivation, especially tomato production. There is a significant Asian population in the region, with people belonging to the Catholic Church but also to Islam and Buddhism. The local population traditionally belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, although various revival movements – particularly Laestadianism and Baptist communities – are strong. Ostrobothnia is becoming increasingly multicultural, with a rich variety of new customs and festivities brought by immigrants.
Historically, the Catholic Church has cared for the religious needs of local Catholics – primarily immigrants – by means of more or less regular Masses and opportunities for confession and baptism in different locations. Confession, however, seemed relatively unfamiliar to several of those with whom I spoke. The practical pastoral work has to some extent been handled by the parish of Jyväskylä (Father Anders) and the parish of Tampere (Father Tri). Priests have also served on an ad hoc basis, among them Father Tuomas Nyyssölä.
A priest of their own in Vaasa
From the autumn of this year, the diocese has decided on a more permanent solution for pastoral work in Ostrobothnia by assigning Father Leonard to Vaasa. His already fairly good command of Finnish has enabled him, over just a few months, to establish regular Catholic activities in the area.
Masses are celebrated in Finnish, English, Latin and often also Vietnamese. The challenges that have emerged relate above all to the lack of catechetical instruction and to the practical arrangements surrounding baptism and confession. Previously, many things appear to have been handled on an ad hoc and rather fragmented basis. The focus of the activities has been especially on Vietnamese immigrants, while the local population has, to some extent, been pushed into the background.
Pietarsaari (Jakobstad)
The first destination of our three-day journey was Pietarsaari, where the Church has a modest chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The chapel holds barely one hundred people and is a donation from two local Catholic women.
The building is somewhat worn and in need of minor repairs. We spent the night in the unheated attic of the chapel – after all, I was on a pilgrimage. All the Masses, music, literature and singing during the liturgy were in Vietnamese, which created the impression of a chapel marked by a dominant Asian culture and of Catholicism appearing as one smaller religious group among others.
Everyone was, however, very friendly and helpful. The premises were clean and in good condition. After Mass, coffee, tea and light refreshments were served. All those present were Vietnamese, and over coffee they spoke of painful experiences from the Vietnam War of the 1960s. Many still carry traumas.
Kokkola (Karleby)
In Kokkola, the Catholic Church uses the chapel of the Orthodox parish. The chapel was already too small for the dozen or so Catholics who wished to attend Mass. Several people had to stand in the vestibule or even outside. During the Mass, Father Leonard baptised a child. The liturgical texts were a mixture of Latin and English, and few people knew Finnish.
Many of the participants came from Burma, and some of them were Buddhists. The driving force in the community was an elderly Polish woman who voluntarily took care of the practical arrangements. A warm thank you to her. After Mass, coffee and cake were served – a warm and festive occasion.
Vaasa (Vasa)
On Sunday in Vaasa, almost 200 people from the whole region gathered for Mass. Father Leonard had founded a choir, which gave the celebration a special solemnity. The Mass was celebrated mainly in Finnish, including all the readings from Scripture. A large proportion of those present received Holy Communion.
After Mass, a generous meal was served, with both hot and cold dishes and sweet pastries with coffee, all free of charge. Many stayed for a long time, and the conversations were lively.
In a short time, through his friendly, open and sociable manner, Father Leonard had succeeded in establishing good cooperation with local Catholics. He said that he now plans to form groups of parishioners to assist him in his work. He also intends to begin studies in Swedish, as many of the immigrants speak that language.
Challenges and opportunities
When I visited the websites of the diocese and the parish of Tampere, I noticed that the new activities in Ostrobothnia were treated rather briefly. There was very little information – only names and short contact details. It would be worthwhile to invest in clear and positive web pages, with pictures and links to texts about pastoral work in Ostrobothnia.
It would also be desirable for Bishop Raimo to visit the area after the turn of the year. This would increase the visibility of the work, lend it weight, and encourage local Catholics. Such a visit would be in line with the pastoral plan of the diocese up to 2027.
Secondly, in Kokkola it would be important to negotiate for a larger church space. The present solution risks giving a misleading picture of our Church, which is a global and international institution and not just one small religious group among others.
Personnel policy could likewise be reviewed. There are few priests in Finland, and some work far from others and easily become isolated. Asking for help is not always easy. A modern and forward-looking personnel policy is proactive, communicative and supportive. “Learning by doing” is not the best way to start a new ministry. A priest who is sent to a new area should at least receive basic information about the challenges, possibilities and obstacles of the region.
Significant religious potential
After my pilgrimage, I was left with the impression that there is very considerable religious potential in Ostrobothnia. Ostrobothnians are religious by nature and seek the meaning of life. One sign of this is the strong and vigorous revival movements.
An important question – but also an opportunity – is that the Church in Ostrobothnia should not remain an emigrant church, primarily for immigrants or certain ethnic groups. The Church should be able to reach more broadly and also include the local population as an important target group.
This is, of course, a broader existential question for the diocese as a whole. If the majority of Catholics are immigrants, is the Church still a national Catholic people’s church that acts – or should act – primarily in Finnish and Swedish, our two national languages? The Church’s new identity, grounded in the present situation, would deserve open discussion, for example in Fides. To which Church do we belong today?
The realities must naturally be accepted. If our Catholic Church – as now seems likely – is increasingly becoming a church of immigrants and newcomers, this should be reflected in the Church’s pastoral strategy. One cannot live in the past. What we are dealing with is a paradigm shift that was clearly visible in Ostrobothnia. Perhaps it is time to reconsider the position and situation of the local population as well?
Jan-Peter Paul