The Church that Ran Away?

Our church building didn’t start off where it is now. It was built just north of the city centre, in 1863. 50 years later they took it down and moved it across town.

No-one is quite sure why, except that where they were was becoming a rough part of town, with the prison next door.

Just the place for a church to be.

But they were starting to get visits from Swedish royalty and perhaps they felt awkward.

The City said they could move the church to nearby Vasaparken - then changed their minds.

With a church in pieces and nowhere to go, Swedish royalty came to the rescue.

Crown Princess Margareta found them the present site: a Swedish military cemetery. And they moved the building there, stone by stone, in 1913.

Where Diplomatstaden sprang up all around it.

She then got all her friends to donate new furniture and windows.

And, when she died soon after, a grateful church installed a wonderful west window in her memory.

We’ve been where we are ever since.

But maybe we’ll be on the move again, when we get fed up with being in such a posh part of town.