St Mary's Chapel and Kittilä's Church
St Mary's Chapel and Kittilä's Church
St Mary's Chapel was completed in Levi in 1998 and inaugurated by Olavi Rimpiläinen, Bishop of the Diocese of Oulu, on September 20, 1998. A title competition was held during the construction of the chapel. Suggestions included Levi's Chapel, Immel's Chapel, Mary's Chapel. The name Mary's Chapel has two ideas: first, it tells of Jesus' mother, Mary. Secondly, it tells the story of a poor Lapland girl who lived in the 19th century, Maria: Milla Clementsdotter. This Mary of Lapland was Lars Leevi Laestadius's confessor and forgave his sins.
St Mary's Chapel was designed by architect Hannele Arantola from Espoo. His basic idea was to create an atmosphere of holiness. In the design, he has combined modern construction and the old barrel vault structure used in the greystone churches (Southwest Finland and Satakunta) and the Lappish kota, which is especially visible in the appearance of the chapel. The colors of the chapel are related to the nature of Lapland: arctic blue, snow, and ice. At the same time, blue and white are Mary's colors. The floor is built of ceramic tiles. It mimics the atmosphere of old stone churches.
In April 2006, the chapel was taken over by the Kittilä parish.
St Mary’s Chapel is open for prayers and visitors every day from 11.00 to 15.00. Prayer time daily at 13.00. On Wednesdays, the weekly Mass is held at 19.00.
There are in additions plenty of other programs in the chapel, such as concerts.
The chapel is also a popular site for weddings'celebrations. Chapel reservations and information can be obtained from the Kittilä Parish Office.
Kittilä's Church
It was built between 1829-1831 and changes were made in 1886-87. In 1895-96 the tower was raised and the church got its current shape.
During the Lapland War of 1944, our church was guarded by God so that the Germans did not burn it, even though the village around it was destroyed.
In the tower, which is about 31 m high and dates from 1897, the bells ring the holy message. On the side of the great bell it reads “let the bell of this eternal life of Jesus be victory unto death”.
