Saint Henry is known as Finland’s first bishop. He is believed to have been born in England. During the reign of King Eric the Holy, Bishop Henry apparently served as a missionary bishop in the Baltic region. Residing in Uppsala, he worked diligently to establish Christianity in the area entrusted to him. In this mission, he joined the king’s crusade to Finland in 1155.
After the king returned to his homeland with his troops, Bishop Henry remained in Finland to organize church life. Tradition holds that he suffered martyrdom during the winter following the crusade (January 20, 1156). According to the legend, a farmer named Lalli, who had been assigned a church penance for manslaughter, killed Henry on the frozen Lake Köyliö. Another tradition mentions three assailants: Lalli, Pentti, and Olli.
Bishop Henry was buried in the church of Nousiainen, but his earthly remains were later transferred on June 18, 1300, to Turku Cathedral.
A small island near the site of his martyrdom, known as Kirkkokari (“Church Rock”), reportedly had a memorial chapel built in the 14th century. Over time, the chapel fell into ruins, leaving only some stones and decayed timber.
Kirkkokari of Lake Köyliö became a popular pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages. Even today, Finnish Catholics make a pilgrimage there in mid-June to honor the memory of Saint Henry and to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon Finland and its people through Bishop Henry and his successors. A granite memorial and altar have since been erected on the island.
The first document referring to Henry as a saint is a letter written by Pope Boniface VIII in 1296. Initially venerated as the patron saint of Turku Cathedral, Saint Henry gradually became recognized as the heavenly protector of the Finnish Church and people. His feast day is celebrated on January 19 in all Catholic churches in the Nordic countries, and it is a solemnity in Finland.
A relic of the holy martyr-bishop Saint Henry is enshrined in the main altar of Saint Henry’s Cathedral in Helsinki.
Saint Henry, pray for us.