The Orthodox Parish of Turku is multilingual. This page brings together the parish activities in which English is used. The times of individual services vary from month to month, and the current times are always in the service calendar.
English in the Sunday Liturgy
The main language of the parish is Finnish. From 1 September 2026 onwards, the Sunday Liturgy in the Church of St Alexandra in Turku (Yliopistonkatu 19) is served in Finnish together with a second language, following a monthly cycle. The cycle is based on a decision of the parish council of 23 March 2026. English is used on the fourth Sunday of the month.
- 1st Sunday of the month: Finnish, Church Slavonic and Ukrainian
- 2nd Sunday: Finnish and Greek
- 3rd Sunday: Finnish and Romanian
- 4th Sunday: Finnish and English
- 5th Sunday, when there is one: Finnish and Swedish
The Gospel, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the prayer “I believe, O Lord, and I confess” are read and sung in both languages. The priest and the choir use the second language in other parts of the Liturgy as far as possible, and the sermon is given in two languages whenever this can be arranged. A booklet is used in the service, with the parts sung and said together printed in both languages.
The cycle of the church year may bring changes to this rhythm. Any changes are announced in the service calendar. In the other churches and chapels of the parish, languages other than Finnish are used as needed.
Services in English
Liturgies in English are served in the Church of St Alexandra in Turku (Yliopistonkatu 19).
Lectures in English
Lectures in English is an English-language discussion group that meets every other week in the parish room at 1 pm. The discussions are led by Dr Grant White, who was born in Kansas and holds an A.B. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame. This autumn the subject is the Divine Liturgy and related themes. Please bring your own questions, experiences and observations to the discussion. The meeting dates are shown in the events calendar.
Contact: Father Ioannis Lampropoulos, rector of the parish, serves in English: 050 357 3675, ioannis.lampropoulos@ort.fi. Father Valtteri Oksa also serves in English: 044 901 2354, valtteri.oksa@ort.fi.
Open to everyone
The Aleksandra Café and the free Aleksandra Breakfast are open to everyone, whatever language you speak. The multicultural women’s group (Alexandra Club) is open to all Orthodox women regardless of background; for more information contact Rita Gorgees, 040 726 7460.
The parish office can be reached at 044 751 4423 and turku@ort.fi. The languages each member of staff serves in are listed on the Contact page.