Far up in the north, Catholic churches are few and far between. Our northernmost parish, the Holy Family of Nazareth Parish, geographically covers half of Finland. From the church in Oulu, the distances to the diaspora communities in Raahe, Kemi, Tornio-Haparanda, Rovaniemi and Kajaani are short by northern standards: between 75 and 220 kilometres, depending on the town. Mass is celebrated once a month in each of these places. In addition, it is possible to travel to Kilpisjärvi, almost 600 kilometres from Oulu. There, at the foot of Saana Fell, near the point where the borders of Finland, Sweden and Norway meet, one can visit the Memorial Chapel of St Mary and pray for the protection of the Virgin Mary over the Nordic countries. The chapel was built by Catholic parishioners from Oulu.
From Sodankylä in central Lapland, Rovaniemi is practically next door, at a distance of about 150 kilometres. Catholic Mass is celebrated there on the second Sunday of every month in the premises of the Orthodox Church, which are filled to the last seat.
When the need arises, one can spend a private moment in prayer in a Lutheran church in the centre of Sodankylä, where there are no fewer than two churches. The New Church, situated on the edge of the old cemetery, was consecrated in 1859. About 150 metres away, near the Kitinen, Finland’s fourth-largest river, stands the Old Church, built in 1689. It was from this churchyard that the cemetery originally began to expand. No new graves are established in the old cemetery any longer, but burials can of course still take place in existing graves if there is room.
Wars were fought in Lapland between 1939 and 1945, and Sodankylä was also affected by them: the Winter War, the Continuation War and the Lapland War. During the Lapland War of 1944–1945, the destruction was enormous. When the inhabitants returned from evacuation, they found that almost everything had been burned down, even in the outlying villages. Fewer than ten buildings remained in the centre of Sodankylä, but, as if by a miracle, both churches had survived. The Old Church, a wooden church, stood firmly in its place.
Surrounded by pine and birch trees, the Old Church has preserved its appearance through the centuries. The steep shingle roof has, however, been restored, and the tarred log walls have been protected with split boards fastened with nails forged by the village blacksmith.
Inside, the walls are bare Lapland pine, and the choir screen, pews and pulpit are original and unpainted. Someone once remarked that the church is austere and beautiful and looks honestly as though it was made by a carpenter. The thresholds are high, both when entering the church and when climbing into the pews.
The Old Church officially seats 120 people, but that means sitting very close together indeed. The church is open to the public during the summer, and on entering one is greeted by the pleasant smell of tar. Even on a sunny day the church is dim, as the windows are small and there is no electricity. This also means that the uninsulated church is unsuitable for winter use, when the temperature inside can fall to –35 degrees Celsius. In summer, the church is a tourist attraction with a peaceful atmosphere, but also an unusual and memorable wedding church.
Walking towards the timbered altar brings to mind the graves beneath the floor. Following the tradition of the time, prominent local people, such as chaplains and parish priests together with their families, were buried in graves beneath the floor during the 18th century. The best-known person is probably the infant son of the parish priest Abraham Cajander, who bore the same name as his father. The baby, only a few weeks old, rests in his small coffin beside his parents and other prominent local people of the time. The infant’s body has become mummified and has been preserved exceptionally well.
In the altarpiece “The Last Supper”, painted by the Swede Petter Bergström in 1739, Jesus holds his disciple John in his arms while at the same time offering the Eucharistic bread to Judas. The frame is decorated with Golgotha and the three crucified figures. The altarpiece is impressive, and while praying one’s gaze rests upon it. Through Catholic prayers, the Old Church’s status as a Lutheran tourist attraction is transformed into an atmospheric and sacred moment with Jesus.
When leaving, it is difficult to turn one’s back on the altarpiece.
Christel Monni