Suonenjoki Church

Suonenjoki Church was consecrated for use in Advent 1865 and was designed by provincial architect Ferdinand Öhmann. The church is a long church with a tower and a short transept. It is built of logs and its dimensions are: length 33 metres, width 23 metres, height 10 metres, and tower height 37 metres. The floor area of the church is 781 m² and it seats around 800 people.

At the end of the 19th century, the church was clad with boarding on both the exterior and interior. At the same time, it was painted and equipped with stove heating. The chandelier lights, which were later reinstalled, were also acquired in the late 1800s and electrified in the 1920s. The church has undergone several renovations.

A major renovation took place in 1955–1956, planned by architect K. S. Kallio. This significantly altered the appearance of the church. Decorative elements were removed, the altar wall was panelled, and the church was painted in a rather plain style. During this renovation, electric heating was also installed. For decades the exterior colour of the church was painter’s grey. In the 1960s, it received an orange shade believed to be close to the original, and this colour was retained in the most recent renovation from 1993–1995.

The altarpiece was painted by H. Westling in 1884. Its subject is Jesus on the cross, with Mary Magdalene kneeling at the foot of the cross. During the last renovation, an original hymn‑number board from the first church, dating from 1799, was placed on the southern wall. It bears the text: “Pyhä Hengi meit lohtuta, rauhaan meit wetä ja totuta” (“Holy Spirit, comfort us, lead us into peace and teach us”).

In the main entrance hall there is an old “black bench” from the early years of the church. The three church bells are from the years 1800, 1874 and 1877. The oldest carries the inscription: “Tulkaa ja veisatkaa Herralle kunniaa ja iloitkaa meidän autuutemme turvassa” (“Come and sing honour to the Lord and rejoice in the safety of our salvation”).

The first organ, acquired in 1898, had 16 stops and was built by J. A. Zachariassen. The current organ, with 43 stops, was acquired in 1957 from the Kangasala Organ Factory.

Address:
Asemakatu 13, 77600 Suonenjoki