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Dear members of Saint Mary’s parish,

With this letter I send heartfelt greetings and wish to share with you some current parish issues. Our parish is very international – among them there are Catholics from approximately 70 different countries. Although almost half of our parish members have a foreign background, we all celebrate joyfully the 100 year anniversary of the independence of Finland, which is our common home. We pray for 100-year-old Finland and for all of its inhabitants, that God will bless us abundantly, protect us from all dangers and give us peace and well-being. In accordance with tradition, we celebrate Finland’s Independence Day and the anniversary of the consecration day of St. Mary’s Church on the same day.

Fatima

Perhaps less well-known is a second 100-year anniversary which we celebrate this year. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children in a little village called Fatima, in Portugal in 1917. It is a matter of great joy and consolation that 100-year-old Finland is, by this association, under the care and protection of the Virgin Mary. The message of the Mother of God in Fatima is still relevant today. She invites us to pray the rosary every day, to live our lives in union with God, to dedicate ourselves to God and to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, as well as to repent and to make amendments for our sins. The Virgin Mary’s message was confirmed by a supernatural phenomenon, a miracle of the sun, which was witnessed by some seventy thousand people.

Sister Lucia, one of the children to whom the Virgin Mary appeared, has written that the last and decisive battle between evil and good, between Satan and God-faithful men, is to take place over the issue of marriage and the family. The forces of darkness try to destroy marriage, which God himself has set up. “Marriage, in which a man and a woman who are baptized, establish a mutual, life-long partnership, which is directed towards the good of the spouses and the birth and growth of children, Christ the Lord, has raised to the value of a sacrament ” we read in the Catechism. In today’s world, which is often alienated from faith and which is even hostile to it, believing families are very important as faith-radiating centers. Our task is to remain faithful to God and to testify boldly to the truth. Christ has already won over evil and with his mother’s encouragement and support we are on the side of truth and life.

I would like to encourage all families to make your home a “home-church” where Christ is present and where the family members grow in wisdom and in the grace of God.

For Parents

Dear Catholic parents, only you have the power to see to it that your children receive moral education which is in accordance with our Catholic faith and good quality teaching of religion. It is appropriate to insist that a church-approved religion teacher promotes the genuine Catholic faith and Christian life. If the religious education in the school does not conform to these objectives, an alternative is in attending the Saturday catechism course. In addition to the teaching of religion, it is important that the children and young people actively participate in the Holy Mass, especially on Sundays, where they receive spiritual nourishment and can experience a sense of belonging to the Catholic community.

Parish council

The five-year period of the present Church Council is coming to an end. We warmly thank the members of the Church Council for their work for our parish. Nine new candidates have signed up for the Church Council for the new period. The election committee decided that all of the candidates should become members of the new Church council, which will begin its term early next year.

Help needed

To enable the functioning of our parish and to take care of the church building, it is necessary that every member with an income supports our parish with one percent of the income. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in Finland does not have the right to receive ecclesiastical tax money as the Lutheran and Orthodox Churches do. This does not, of course, relieve Catholics of the moral obligation to support their own church regularly, but to emphasize the voluntary nature and responsibility of giving. We sincerely thank the members who are responsible for helping our parish.

Our Church’s financial situation is serious, since the collections and donations we receive do not even cover ordinary maintenance costs. In addition, the diocese needs more and more support from the parishes. We are also facing the need of the renovation of the roof of our church, which costs EUR 60 000. Our only hope is the generosity of the parishioners. I strongly believe that all Catholics will be able to help to solve these economic problems and then we can look forward to the future.

I wish all of our parishioners God’s abundant blessings and joyful awaiting for the Nativity feast of our Lord Jesus Christ!

fr. Rafal Czernia SCJ

parish priest