Saarijärvi Church

Saarijärvi Church

The Saarijärvi Church is the main church of our parish, where a service is held every Sunday at 10 am. The church can accommodate around 800 people. There is a ramp at the side door on the side of the hero graves, making it easy to enter the church with a walker or wheelchair. The church has an induction loop, the coverage map of which can be found near the main door. The church has toilet facilities. The Saarijärvi Church is the main church of our parish. On Sundays, we hold a service at 10 am. The church can be reserved by parishioners for church ceremonies through the parish office.
The current church is the third church in Saarijärvi. The churches built in 1628 and 1694 were located on the same isthmus as our current church. The construction of the current church between 1846-49 was led by church builder Jaakko Kuorikoski. The church represents the so-called Engel churches. It was designed by A. F. Granstedt, who worked in the Finnish Intendant’s Office led by architect C. L. Engel.
The church is a masterpiece of the designers and builders of its time. The church hall is dominated by an 18-meter diameter dome. Such a large dome would typically require a stone church structure. The application of the dome to a wooden church is a significant achievement of 19th-century architecture.
The third major renovation of the church was carried out in 1997-98, based on plans by architect Aulis Jääskeläinen from Seinäjoki. In the thorough renovation, all structures from under the floor to the top of the dome were carefully examined. The responsible construction manager was Keijo Sironen from Saarijärvi.
In the 1930 renovation, the dome, which had been boarded up, was opened according to its original purpose. The symbol of Christ’s resurrection, a gilded sun, at the top of the lantern, is 29.10 meters above the floor surface. The church received a new pulpit, designed based on the church’s first pulpit.
The altar structure, lighting, sound equipment, and heating were renewed. The church and the belfry were painted from the outside. The interior color scheme is based on the shades used in different phases of the church’s history.
The new church textiles acquired during the renovation were designed and manufactured by textile artist Annikki Linturi. The theme of the textiles is the tree of life.