A Moderate Reformation

It took a long time for the impact of the Reformation to become visible in the church’s interior. The winged altarpieces and sculptures of saints were allowed to remain untouched, but worship of the images of saints was forbidden. The side altars were not removed until there arose a need for more space.

  With the transition from the Roman Catholic to the Lutheran Church, the Church of the Word, the need for a pulpit became evident. In 1649 the Church of St. Lawrence received one as a donation. As the Crown had confiscated the bulk of the lands and other possessions of the Roman Catholic Church, such donations from the nobility were more important than before.

  In the first half of the 18th century, during the periods known as the Great and Lesser Wrath, the Church of St. Lawrence suffered damage as a result of Russian occupation. Repairs took place in the late 18th and early 19th century. A nationwide church collection for the benefit of the Church of St. Lawrence was taken up in 1725.

  Originally, the Church of St. Lawrence was the principal church of an extensive area, including the parishes of Tuusula and Nurmijärvi and most of the present-day parishes of Helsinki.

  The first organ was procured in the middle of the 19th century. The organ façade, designed by Theodor Höijer, is from 1894. The present 37-register organ was built by Veikko Virtanen Organ Builders.