Why Sweden ?

Why not ?

Today, June 6, is Sweden’s National Day.   A day of quiet, typically understated celebration for most Swedes. Yet, a good time to reflect upon the enormous contribution, that relative to their small population (9 million), the people of Sweden have made to the world. They, along with their other Nordic neighbors, have proved that it is possible to create a prosperous society in which all of its citizens enjoy access to quality housing, health care, education, and transportation. The involvement of Swedes in humanitarian efforts internationally is estimable. They are by no means perfect, but they have shown the world that, with collective willingness, cooperation, and a sense of fairmindedness, significant improvements can be made in the quality of life for the people of this planet.  God bless ‘em.

From this side of the Atlantic, it is a good time for me personally to reflect upon my forthcoming move to the island of Gotland, where I will  serve as pastor of Kristi-Lekamens /Corpus Christi parish in the city of Visby. In July, I will return to the island to complete preparations for the work which will begin officially on October 1.  

Why Sweden? friends and friars ask.  Are you of Swedish descent?  No.  But I did the DNA test and discovered that 3% of me is, in fact, Swedish.  

Why would you go there as a missionary?  Isn’t Sweden already a Christian country?  True, the majority of Swedes—more than two-thirds of the population—are at least nominal members of the  (Evangelical Lutheran) Church of Sweden.  But weekly church attendance, at about 2%, is low even by European standards. Sweden is one of the most highly secularized societies in the world, and becoming even more so.

Are there many Catholics in Sweden?  

Yes, around 200,000 in a population of 9 million.  The Catholic population has doubled in the past three decades, due to both to the immigration of people from traditionally Catholic majority countries, as well as the conversion of native-born Swedes from other faiths, or even no faith at all. There is an emerging profile of the Catholic community in Sweden which is distinct.  The Catholic Church in Sweden is young. It is a “new” church. It doesn’t have a lot of the baggage that a faith community more deeply embedded in the culture would have. 

What is the attraction of Sweden for you?  On a deeply personal level, Sweden is the place where I reclaimed my Catholic identity.  I first visited Sweden on a study/research grant  in 1980, long before I joined religious life.  Absent the traditional props of identity-- family, culture, food, climate, profession—I discovered that what kept me going was my faith in God— hidden within, but quite real.  When, with the help of a trusted Jesuit spiritual director, I began to peel away the layers of many of my objections to Church and to faith in general, I discovered the core of my Catholic identity in a new way.  I also became aware of my call to community and ministry.  Sweden was not just the background for my conversion. It was the ground of my conversion in so many ways.

Why not just say “thank you” and let it go at that?  I believe that returning to Sweden offers an important way for me to express my gratitude for the tremendous friendship, warmth, encouragement, and hospitality I have received in my own journey of faith. On a personal level, I believe that I have been given the gifts of language and a degree of cultural “fluency” which I want to put to good use in very practical ways through ministry.  And let me be very clear, I believe that the Franciscan identity, culture, and spirituality have a lot to offer people.

I have come to have a deep respect for the Swedish people:  they are by and large intelligent, hardworking, and modest people.  They have committed themselves to the creation of a society which offers people a safe and healthy environment in which to realize their gifts and aspirations. They have a deep and abiding respect for creation which shows in their concern for the environment. 

So, Sweden is a paradise, then?  Not by any means. In some ways, it is every bit as turbulent as any other Western society at this moment in time.  But its core values, I believe, are making it possible for Swedes to navigate fairly well through the demands of  rapidly changing technology and forms of communication.  If anything is lacking, it is a direct and conscious sense and acceptance of the Christian faith--not just as history-- but essentially as mystery. The mystery of the ineffable presence and power of God, of Jesus, and in the Spirit.  This is the awareness and insight, joined to an ethical base,  that a secular, increasingly relativist environment cannot provide by itself.

What do you hope to gain from your experience in Sweden?  Selfishly speaking, I hope it will provide me with a rich opportunity for ongoing conversion.  Not for spiritual self-improvement. It’s not about achievement, but rather about an increasing surrender and abandonment to God’s will. My goal and aspiration is to be “present” to people as best I can.  To accompany them.  To celebrate the sacraments with them.  And to help them to see that God is alive and present in their lives.  I don’t have any big projects.  Just a firm desire to offer myself as I am, to love the people, and to accept their friendship and care in return.

What do you see as the possibilities for the local Catholic church?  They are endless.  The people are engaged, capable, and committed, with tremendous potential. With an increasing sense of shared identity—and pride in their Catholic roots—they could do almost anything.  The parish is small, but it is wonderfully diverse. What the people long for most now is continuity in leadership; they have been without a resident pastor for several years.  Many have expressed a craving for regular liturgical celebrations and sacramental life. The needs of faith formation at every level are enormous. There is also a marvelous initiative, still in its initial stages, called the Agnus Dei Project, which aims to create a center of spirituality and worship on Gotland—internationally focused, but rooted in the Baltic region.  Adoration, liturgies, lectures, retreats, pilgrimages are all possibilities to be explored.

Anything particularly special about Gotland?  The island is rich in culture.  Visby, its capital, was an important trading city in the Hanseatic League during the medieval era. The wealth generated from this activity enabled the construction of some 92 magnificent parish churches, all constructed between 1100-1500 AD! Count them:  92!  All of these churches have been restored, and many are still active worship sites. Along with the (Lutheran) Cathedral of St. Mary’s in Visby, they form a unique and irreplaceable spiritual, aesthetic, and cultural patrimony—one which fairly shouts of Gotland’s deep Catholic roots. It is also an impressive testimony to the immense pride and love the people have always had for their church buildings.

Anything else?  Together with some absolutely wonderful people from our parish, from the Red Cross, and from  the Salvation Army, I have become involved in a project called Vinternatt/ Winter Night, which assists the Roma people living on Gotland.  People who, as European citizens, have the right to live and work in the European Union, but who, for reasons of lack of education, opportunity, cultural disparity, and sometimes even discrimination do not have access to appropriate opportunities for employment and social services.  The group is not large—30 people at the most—but their needs are great and their generally unwelcome presence as beggars on the streets draws attention daily to the complications of their situation.

I think that’s enough for right now, don’t you.  Yep.