In Finland, 70% of people belong to The Evangelical Lutheran Church, and 1.1% of people to Finnish Orthodox Church.
During that time, can I find a Catholic Church to be able to visit in Helsinki? I searched on the internet, and knew St. Henry's Cathedral, which is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland. There is a Mass in English on Sunday!
I took off a tram at Kaivopuisto of Tram 3 Line. Soon, a small church was seen in front of me.
St. Henry's Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland
It is the Cathedral Church of the Catholic Diocese of Helsinki, dedicated to St. Henry, a 12th-century Bishop of Finland.
The statues are Saint Henry, Saint Peter, and Saint Paul.
St. Henry's Cathedral is built in 1858 - 1860, and one of the oldest Neo-Gothic churches in Finland.
The Mass in English on Sunday starts at 9:30 am. I wished for spending time quietly inside the church before the Mass started. Sit on the bench, see the interior, close my eyes, and be honest with myself in a sacred and mysterious atmosphere... So I came here earlier.
But! There were already people inside the church and a prayer chorus had begun! Christians - almost of them seemed Filipinos to me - were chanting specific prayers loudly together. Louldy.
I got upset. For me, the time before the Mass should be, at least I was taught that, quiet. It's different here. Though I couldn't have a quiet time as I hoped, I understood it's helpless. They want to chant passionately to express their faith. They are very devout. Must be looking forward to coming here, a rare Catholic Church in Finland.
The Mass started after 30 minutes. It was a beautiful Mass by Finnish priest.
He in Michigan had some doubts whether there was a Mass at Catholic Church in Finland because a Catholic population in Finland is quite small.
Yes, there was. Later at the hotel, I took a photo of "evidence" and sent it to him.
Even if I was traveling alone in Finland, my heart was together with him.
