– Systematic property management supports the work and financial planning of a growing Church
A comprehensive real estate strategy was completed in January 2025 to guide the management of the Diocese’s property assets for the years 2025–2035. The strategy was prepared in cooperation with external experts.
A Strategic Tool for a Growing Church
In Finland, the number of Catholics is growing rapidly, which creates challenges regarding the sufficiency of premises and the planning of their use. The real estate strategy was prepared under the guidance of the diocesan property working group and in cooperation with experts from FinProma Oy. For this purpose, technical data on properties that had previously been scattered across parishes and the diocesan curia were compiled, utilisation rates were assessed, and priorities for space requirements were defined.
A Comprehensive Survey of the Diocesan Property Portfolio
The strategy includes a thorough analysis of the current state of the diocesan property portfolio, which comprises churches, chapels, presbyteries, residential properties, day-care premises and monastery buildings throughout Finland. In the strategic process, the properties were examined from the perspectives of technical condition, functionality and actual need of use. The indicative repair backlog of the diocesan property stock amounts to approximately 9.7 million euros. Maintaining the current condition of the properties would theoretically require annual investments of more than €800,000 in various renovation and construction projects. The aim is to reduce the repair backlog one project and one investment at a time. This cannot be achieved overnight but requires long-term commitment.
To support the practical implementation of the strategy, the Diocese introduced the CREM property management software in autumn 2025. The system enables centralised management of property data, maintenance records and systematic monitoring of the repair backlog. The CREM system provides concrete support and clarity in handling property information and helps ensure that decisions concerning properties are made on the basis of accurate and up-to-date data.
Properties Categorised into Strategic Portfolios
In the strategy, diocesan properties have been classified into four categories: retained, developed, evaluated and divested buildings. The retained portfolio includes essential properties that serve their purpose well or are so strategically important that substantial investments may be made in them when necessary. The developed portfolio includes strategically very important properties that require adaptation or major renovation in view of future needs.
Major Church Renovations Begin in 2026
The Diocese’s next major projects are the renovation of Saint Olav’s Church in Jyväskylä and Saint Joseph’s Church in Kuopio, both of which will begin during the current year. Urgent repair work was already carried out at Saint Joseph’s Church in autumn 2024 to correct structural inclinations and straighten the building’s supporting pillars. The renovation of the church’s windows and façade will begin once the ongoing project plan has been completed. The renovation of Saint Olav’s Church will be financed through the sale of a residential apartment building in poor condition located on the same plot.
A Vision of a Functionally and Financially Sustainable Property Portfolio
The long-term vision of the real estate strategy is to create and maintain an adaptive and financially sustainable property portfolio that best supports the Church’s activities and long-term objectives. The key goals of the strategy period are to ensure that the properties meet the essential needs of a growing Church and that the repair backlog does not increase further. As parish life expands, the basic conditions for parish activities will be secured also in terms of premises, while at the same time taking into account the objectives of balancing diocesan finances and achieving greater self-sufficiency.
Tommi Reinikainen
Diocesan Finance Officer