Hosannas ring out again from restored Porvoo Cathedral

Liturgical year begins on a celebrative note, two and a half years after disastrous arson

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By Anna-Riitta Sippola
     
      A service of reconsecration was held at the medieval Porvoo Cathedral on November 30th, the 1st Sunday in Advent, starting the new Christian liturgical year. The bilingual event was broadcast live via television to all Finnish homes.
     
The greystone church was crammed with people already half an hour prior to the ceremony, which was conducted by Gustav Björkstrand, the Bishop of the Porvoo Diocese, and by Eero Huovinen, the Bishop of the Helsinki Diocese.
      The top half of Porvoo Cathedral, originating from medieval times, was destroyed by a fire lit by a young man acting ”on a whim” in May 2006, while the church's interior survived the flames largely unharmed.
     
The reconstruction of the damaged Cathedral was completed earlier than initially expected, and the doors to the church were reopened to visitors already in July.
      In his reconsecration address, Bishop Björkstrand reminded the audience that enemies have often tried to destroy the medieval cathedral, but like the sacred firebird Phoenix it has always arisen from the ashes to be even more magnificent than before.
      ”People have wanted to give the church back some of the goodness that the church has given to them over centuries”, said Bishop Huovinen in his sermon to the Finnish congregation.
      Almost everybody appeared to take Holy Communion.
     
Usually it is difficult to persuade people to come to church, but this time the problem was how to accommodate all worshippers, said Heikki Hakamies, the vicar of Porvoo’s Finnish congregation.
     
It was very nice to come here after such a long time, said Porvoo residents Sanna Hänninen, 17, and Elise Nieminen, 16.
      The fire had come as a shock to everybody, and the topic was discussed in school through the entire week.
      ”It is quite important for all people who live in Porvoo to have a church in town”, the girls noted.
     
The regular number of churchgoers on Advent Sunday is around 300, but now the number was at least 800.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 1.12.2008


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Cathedral fire: Police have "strong suspicions" against suspects (31.5.2006)
  BREAKING NEWS: Major fire severely damages Porvoo Cathedral (29.5.2006)
  Court of Appeals doubles jail sentence of Porvoo Cathedral arsonist (15.5.2007)
  Three-year prison sentence in Porvoo arson case (31.8.2006)
  Porvoo arson trial begins; defendant told friends of intentions before fire (29.8.2006)
  Three young people come forward and admit lighting Porvoo Cathedral fire (1.6.2006)

Links:
  Porvoo Cathedral Images
  Porvoo Cathedral (Wikipedia)

ANNA-RIITTA SIPPOLA / Helsingin Sanomat
anna-riitta.sippola@hs.fi