Struggling Pyhäranta parish set for forced merger with Rauma after no other options remain

The financially troubled Pyhäranta parish in southwestern Finland is likely to be merged with the Rauma parish against its will, following a proposal by legal assessor Matleena Lahtinen to the Turku Chapter, reports Yle.

Lahtinen has recommended that the small parish of around 1,400 members be incorporated into the Rauma parish, which has 26,500 members and a strong financial position. The proposal will be reviewed by the Turku Chapter on Wednesday, with a final decision resting with the Church Council if approved.

Pyhäranta parish faces financial difficulties, with deferred maintenance and limited staffing, though it carries no debt. Both Uusikaupunki and Laitila parishes previously rejected merger proposals. Lahtinen stated that Pyhäranta cannot continue independently, even without local support, and Rauma is the most capable of assuming responsibility.

Rauma parish had opposed the merger, citing unconstructive negotiations. However, Lahtinen noted that after a forced merger, Rauma would have full authority over staffing, including whether to assign clergy to Pyhäranta. “There is no obligation to place a chaplain or other priest in the Pyhäranta area,” she wrote.

A prior parish survey on merger preferences was dismissed by Lahtinen as flawed, as it did not include Rauma as an option. If merged, the Rauma parish would span two regions—Satakunta and Varsinais-Suomi—both under the Turku Archdiocese.