Finnish Seamen's Mission
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The Finnish Seamen's Mission (, ) was established in 1875. It was established to help Finns travelling abroad, particularly seafarers and migrant workers. It is a Christian organisation which provides church services and pastoral care, and also aims to provide cultural and social services to the Finnish community. The Secretary General ''(Pääsihteeri)'' as of 2015 is Hannu Suihkonen. The Finnish Seamen's Mission works in close co-operation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, although it is a separate organisation. Finnish Lutheran clergy are based in the missions. There are also other Finnish Lutheran congregations and clergy outside of Finland, but the Finnish Seamen's Mission and the Finnish Church Abroad work together to prevent duplication of work.


Locations in Finland

Within
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, the Mission has branches at Hamina,
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
, Kemi, Kokkola, Kotka, Oulu,
Pori Pori (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately , while the Pori sub-region, sub-region has a population of a ...
, Raahe, Rauma and
Turku Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...
. The headquarters is at Albertinkatu in Helsinki. A new international seamen's church is being planned for the new Port of Vuosaari in Vuosaari, East Helsinki; this will open at the same time as the new port.


Locations outside Finland

Outside Finland, there are branches at
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
,
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, Lübeck, Piraeus,
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
and
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. As well as seafarers, the facilities are increasingly used by Finnish truck drivers, students and other expatriate workers.


Belgium and Luxembourg

The Finnish Seamen's Mission has two branches in
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
– Antwerp and Brussels. There are also services held from time to time in
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
. The Antwerp mission will be closed in 2015. In Antwerp, the ''Merimieskirkko'' is located at Italiëlei 67 (but will close in August 2015). In Brussels, it is located at Rue Jacques de Lalaing 33 and includes a sauna. The pastor is the Revd Jussi Ollila. Communion services are, however, normally held at the Chapel of the Resurrection in Rue Van Maerlant on the first and third Sundays of each month.


United Kingdom

There is only one ''Merimieskirkko'' building in the UK (in London), but services are also occasionally held in other towns and cities. The church is located at 33 Albion Street, Rotherhithe,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
(near Rotherhithe station on the
London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
network). A communion service is held on the first Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. (conducted mainly in Finnish). An evening service is conducted on Sundays at 6 p.m. and on Thursday at 7.30 p.m. In addition, services are held on church festival days. The first person sent abroad by the Finnish Seamen's Mission was Elis Bergroth. He was initially posted as Finnish chaplain at the English ports of Grimsby and Hull in 1880. Given the level of work in London, the chaplaincy was moved south in 1882. The present building was opened in 1958 and is the third Finnish Church in London. The architect of the Church, Cyrill Mardall-Sjöström, designed the new church building for a plot in Southwark Park, but this plan had to be scrapped owing to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. A new site was later found in Rotherhithe, an area with a Scandinavian and Nordic connections where the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish seamen's missions also are present and where the four Nordic churches and the Church of Iceland community cooperate in their work.


Germany

A branch is located in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. The mission was opened in 1901 and the current church building at Ditmar-Koel-Strasse 6 in 1966. There are two to three services at the church monthly. The church building also includes a café, a library, two saunas, and a Finnish-speaking parrot.


Poland

Branches are located in
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
and
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
.


See also

* British & International Sailors’ Society * Church of Sweden Abroad * International Christian Maritime Association * Mission to Seafarers (Anglican) * Sjømannskirken ''(Norwegian Church Abroad)''


References


External links


Official website
(in English, Finnish, French, German and Swedish)
Finnish Church in London
(in English and Finnish)

(in English)
Mission in Antwerp, Brussels and Luxembourg
''(in Finnish only)''
Mission in Hamburg
''(in Finnish only)'' {{Authority control Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Christian missions to seafarers Religious organizations established in 1875 1875 establishments in Finland Finnish expatriates