The Catholic Diocese of Helsinki has received a pastoral plan for the next three years, 2025–2027. Formulated under the leadership of Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, the plan brings together key priorities of the diocese’s pastoral work and sets out goals and actions to achieve them. A wide group of clergy, religious sisters, and laypeople contributed to drafting the plan.
The guiding principle of the pastoral plan is the New Evangelization. Its motto and priority are based on the Bible verse: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19–20; Mark 16:15). The plan emphasizes the shared responsibility that every Christian receives in baptism: “The call to holiness and evangelization concerns all of us equally.”
The pastoral plan is also a response to the synodal nature of the Church—walking together, supporting one another, and listening to each other. “It is important that we journey together, take responsibility together, and support one another on our synodal path toward the coming of God’s Kingdom.”
The main themes of the pastoral plan are: The New Evangelization, Christian Life, Catholic Teaching, Synodality and Community, Caritas – The Culture of Service, Communication, Finances, Ecumenism, Social Responsibility and Advocacy, and Promoting Christian Ecology. The plan also highlights the need for ongoing evaluation to make adjustments and allocate resources as needed.
The pastoral plan is a general guideline rather than a detailed set of instructions. Bishop Raimo hopes that through it, “we may walk together in this local Church, which is full of life and love.”
In connection with the plan, Bishop Goyarrola has also convened the New Evangelization Advisory Committee. This group, consisting of clergy and laypeople, works on concrete actions to promote the New Evangelization. The committee held its first (online) meeting on January 29, 2025.
The pastoral plan is available on the diocesan website. [It will soon be translated also into English.]
KATT
– Linkki pastoraalisuunnitelmaan [Finnish]. (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.)