On September 8, a procession took place in the capital of Finland, which was attended by believers of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The prayer procession began from the Assumption Church and ended in the Cathedral of St. Henry of Uppsala. More than three hundred people took part in the procession, the website of the Finnish Orthodox Church reports. The procession took place on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, which is celebrated in both denominations.  The march was organized by joint agreement of Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and All Finland (the Finnish Orthodox Church) and Bishop Raimo of Helsinki (the Catholic Church in Finland).

It is planned that a joint festive procession through the center of the Finnish capital will become an annual tradition, the Finnish Orthodox Church reports. Next year, the direction of the procession will change, so the starting point will be the Cathedral of St. Henry of Uppsala. In 2025, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated on Monday, so the procession will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Finnish Catholics and Orthodox were able to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary together because the Finnish Orthodox Church – the only Orthodox Church in the world – lives according to the Gregorian calendar. The decision to switch to the new calendar was made shortly after the Finnish Church changed jurisdiction from the Russian Church to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, where it is an autonomous Church, during the October Revolution. 

Last year, the tradition of Orthodox processions in Finland was included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the country.

Photo: Finnish Orthodox Church