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We are delighted to announce that The Rev’d Maria Obafemi-Onuigbo has been appointed as the
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new Chaplain of St Nicholas’ Anglican Church, Helsinki.
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Maria is a Finnish-Nigerian priest who brings with her a wonderful duality of ministerial experience from within The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland and The Church of England. Maria initially worked as a primary school teacher before being ordained as Deacon in 2002 and served in the parish of Lauttasaari, Helsinki. In 2004 Maria moved to the UK, where she became actively involved in the Finnish Seamen’s Church in London. Maria went on to train for the priesthood at Westcott House Theological College, Cambridge, and was ordained in the Southwark Diocese, serving two churches during her Curacy at St Michael & All Angels in South Beddington.
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In 2018, at the end of her curacy, Maria was appointed Rector of The Good Shepherd and St Barnabas in Manchester. During this time Maria was also on the governing body of two church schools and took regular school assemblies. After seventeen years in the UK, Maria moved back to Finland with her British husband and has most recently been working as a Parish Priest for Helsinki Cathedral Parish. Maria brings valuable experience of working with diverse communities, and since 2019 she has been a Minority Ethnic Vocations Mentor in The Church of England. Pastoral Care is one of Maria’s clear strengths and she has shown an unwavering commitment to the well-being of the whole church family during her ministry.
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In addition to her teacher and theological training, Maria has a Bachelor of Science in Social Care from the University of Applied Science of Lahti, and is currently studying for a Masters degree at Diakonia University of Applied Science, Helsinki. In her spare time Maria enjoys reading historical fiction and singing, having previously sung in Lahti Chamber Choir and Morley College's Gospel Choir. Like most Finns, Maria also enjoys her coffee!
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We extend a warm welcome to Maria on behalf of all the Anglican congregations in Finland, and we look forward to her ministry among us.
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Maria will be licensed by The Ven Dr Leslie Natathaniel on 10th August 2025
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at 10:00am in Mikael Agricolan kirkko. Please save the date!
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