The Church of San José de Kuopio, Catholic home in eastern Finland
In Kuopio, the largest city in eastern Finland, the small Catholic community prays in the church of San José (Pyhän Joosefin kirkko), a temple built in 1912-1913 as Lutheran church and consecrated for Catholic veneration on May 3, 2014. The parish, erected on March 19, 2016 - the feast of its patron - belongs to the diocese of Helsinki, the only Catholic diocese in the country.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The history of this temple is a welcome story: the Lutheran parish of Männistö approved in June 2013 the sale of its church to the Catholic Church, and less than a year later, on May 3, 2014, the building was consecrated for Mass.
- The parish of San José was born on March 19, 2016, on the same day as the solemnity of its patron, and it embraces a huge territory: the regions of North Savonia, South Savonia and North Carelia, with communities that also meet in Joensuu, Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Lieksa.
- It is one of the Catholic parishes of a country where Catholics are a very small minority - about 0.2% of the population - and its creation was news of hope: while in other parts of Europe temples are closed, in Finland the Church grew and opened a new parish.
- At the end of its first year, in 2016, the parish had 546 faithful: a small flock scattered by the forests and lakes of Savonia, who as the Holy Family in Nazareth lives its faith with simplicity and constancy in the custody of St. Joseph.
San José (Kuopio)
An ancient Lutheran church of 1912-1913, sold with generosity and consecrated Catholic in 2014, is today the church of San José de Kuopio: parish erected in 2016 for Catholics scattered in eastern Finland, small flock under the custody of the holy patriarch.
"San José, a custodian of the small flock of the north, supports the faith of the Catholics of Finland.
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