The Holy Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia is pleased to announce to the flock of the Mother Church of Constantinople in Scandinavia that, with the canonical blessing and encouragement of her Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, on Saturday, April 25th, 2026, His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Elaia traveled to the city of Luleå, Sweden, where he celebrated the opening of the doors (Thyranoixia) and the first Divine Liturgy in the newly established Parish of the Holy Metropolis, dedicated to the recently canonized Saint Tychon the Athonite, who was recently inscribed in the Hagiological Diptychs of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
At the same time, he introduced to the congregation the parish priest, a volunteer clergyman, the Reverend Protopresbyter Dr. Christian (Nils Krister) Tano, who is both a physician and a theologian.
Present at the Divine Liturgy was the representative of the local Lutheran Church and Dean of the Cathedral there, the Reverend Hans Johansson, who expressed his joy for this initiative and stated his willingness for sincere and fruitful cooperation.
His Grace, after conveying to all the paternal wishes and blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas, presented to the Reverend Hans Johansson an icon of Saint Spyridon, and then addressed the faithful in both Greek and Swedish as follows:
“Reverend Hans Johansson, Representative of the local Lutheran Church,
Reverend Dr. Christian,
Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
With particular emotion and spiritual joy, we have gathered today, during this radiant Paschal season, to witness an event of special ecclesiastical significance; the founding of a new parish dedicated to a new Saint of our Church, Saint Tychon the Athonite.
The establishment of a parish is not merely an administrative act. It is a deeply spiritual event. It is the manifestation of the living presence of the Church in the world. It is a new place where the mystery of the Divine Eucharist will be celebrated, where the word of God will be proclaimed, and where people will encounter the Risen Christ.
And it is no coincidence that this parish is placed under the protection of a Saint of our own times. Saint Tychon the Athonite is a living testimony that holiness does not belong only to the past, but remains possible even today. In the stillness of Mount Athos, through humility, prayer, and total dedication to God, he became a bearer of divine grace and a point of reference for the modern person.
The presence of a new Saint in the life of the Church is always a calling. It calls us to renew our relationship with God. It reminds us that we too are destined for holiness.
Brothers and Sisters,
Within this joyful occasion, our Church also offers a new shepherd to this parish. A man who has already proven his love for his fellow human beings by serving as a physician—healing bodies, relieving pain, and supporting people in their need.
And now he is called to continue the same ministry on a deeper level; to heal souls, to offer spiritual guidance, and to become a father and shepherd to the people of God.
The transition from medical service to priestly ministry is not a change of direction, but its fulfillment. For the Church is the spiritual hospital, and the priest is the servant of God’s grace, called to bring healing, not only to the body, but above all to the soul.
Indeed, the offering of Fr. Christian as a volunteer clergyman of the Holy Metropolis of Sweden and All Scandinavia is a guarantee of love, sacrificial spirit, and pastoral sensitivity.
And all this acquires even deeper meaning during the Paschal season through which we are passing. The message of the Resurrection is the foundation of every parish, every ministry, and every struggle. This new parish is called to become a place of Resurrection—a place where people pass from darkness into light, from despair into hope, from death into life!
Saint Tychon, through his hesychastic life, and the new shepherd, through his sacrificial journey, both show the same path: the path of humility, love, and resurrectional life.
Conveying to all of you the paternal and Paschal blessings of His Eminence, our Shepherd, Metropolitan Cleopas, by whose blessing and encouragement I am among you today, and whose founding of this parish, as well as the ordination of Fr. Christian, are proof of his concern for spreading the message of the Gospel of peace and the ever-living light from the Phanar, of the Mother Church of Constantinople throughout the Diaspora in general, and especially in the Scandinavian countries, let us wholeheartedly pray that this new parish may become a spiritual ark, a harbor of salvation, and a beacon of faith.
And let us beseech Saint Tychon the Athonite to protect and guide everyone, so that together we may walk in the light of the Resurrection. Amen!”
It should be noted that the parish operates in the church of Hertsökyrkan, graciously made available by the Lutheran Church of Sweden, at the following address: Hertsötorget 16–18, 974 52 Luleå.
