Over the weekend, I had the honor of meeting one of the deacons and his family and attending a service at S:ta Clara Kyrka. I was anticipating this as being a part of my Swedish experience, as the Church of Sweden is the national church, and while no longer the almost-mandatory religion (read more about the history of religious tolerance as well as religion in Sweden in general here) it once was, it is absolutely a large player in both local and global politics.
Famous for its global aid, I was excited to visit a church that works closely with its local community as well.
Located in the center of Stockholm, and a part of the Church of Sweden, the church does a lot for the local community, including providing information about logistics of moving to Sweden for immigrants in English and a soup kitchen. The services are held in Swedish with a section that translates into English, which is very inclusive. Overall, I was happy and touched to see so many people coming together and caring for their community and the people around them - especially immigrants, as they are often a marginalized group.
