Jesus Caritas

Tampere chapel

The Little Sisters of Jesus have lived in several cities in Finland since 1957. There are now three Little sisters in Finland. They live in a community in Tampere, in a part of the city named Hervanta, which has about 25,000 inhabitants. There are many students living in Hervanta as well as people from very many countries. The Little sisters live in a block of flats in an apartment, very ordinary except for the chapel, the heart of their home. Christ, present in the Eucharist, gathers the sisters to pray for the people of the area and for the needs of the whole world.

By Anna Rita

View over our neighbourhood

Little sister Teresa Sylvi, who arrived 50 years ago from France, does volunteer work in Hervanta. She visits the lonely and aged, accompanies them on shopping expeditions and goes walking with them. The volunteer workers also support one another in being available for others. 

Marguarite Genevieve at Grannies corner

Little sister Marguerite Genevieve came to Finland by way of Sweden and Norway in 1976. She meets with 30 to 40 people on Mondays in Granny's Corner, a Lutheran meeting place for volunteers. Each person participates according to their talent and strength in knitting woollen squares, which are then sewn together into warm blankets. These are sent through the Missionaries of Charity to India. 
Little sister Marguerite Genevieve also has several friends who live alone and enjoy her weekly visits. 

Little sister Leila, a Finnish Little sister, is still at work. She is the local "Virikevilma" or "Hobby-Hilda". Families, who have small or teen-aged mentally handicapped children, may ask her to accompany the children to hobbies and different leisure activities. She also meets with a local club of ten handicapped young people in Hervanta. 

The Catholic Church is very small in Finland; thus ecumenism is in many different ways very naturally an integral part of a Little sister's life both on a local and national level. The years have brought them numerous friends from different connections and situations. 

Living as leaven is not shouting from the housetops; a Little sister's life is friendship in everyday life, thankfulness that God walks with people everyday, and joy at every attempt towards greater unity among Christians and all people of good will.

Our Community