Helsinki: Facing an unprecedented surge in the Catholic population in one of Europe’s most secular nations, Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki the only Catholic bishop in Finland has launched an international appeal for financial assistance to sustain his rapidly expanding but resource-poor diocese.

Bishop Goyarrola, a native of Bilbao, Spain, has been touring the United States alongside Father Jean Claude Kabeza, vicar general of the Helsinki Diocese and pastor of St. Henry’s Cathedral, to raise funds for new pastoral initiatives. Speaking during a stop in Houston, the two Church leaders described a community marked by diversity, dynamism, and growing needs.

Though Catholics represent just 0.2% of Finland’s 5.6 million people, the Church has witnessed remarkable expansion. More than 3

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