The Matias-Kappeli at Virrat
Welcome to the Chapel
Events
You can find information about the events on our Facebook page.
Language Options
Opening Hours
The Matias-Kappeli - Welcome to the Chapel in Summer
The Chapel can be booked
The Matias Chapel is a space of hearing and seeing
The Matias Kappeli offers the visitors
a place of rest and quiet in the spirit of ecumenism.
Everyone is welcome to stop by and listen to the silence.
The Chapel is suited for many purposes
The Matias Chapel seats 40 people and it is an ideal venue for concerts, meetings, family celebrations and courses. The location is suited for christenings and weddings, as well as silent prayers, prayers and chapel services.
The People behind the Chapel
The Matias Chapel is located in Virrat in the village of Härkönen in a birch wood by the bay of Härkönen. The chapel was completed in 2009. The architectural design is by Esko Räntilä from the company Suunnittelutalo S. Anttila Oy and the acoustic design is by Heikki Helimäki’s engineering company. The chapel and the park surrounding it are managed by the Matias Chapel association that was registered in 2007. Offertories are the main source of income for the Matias Chapel.
Lähellä taivasta - Close to heaven
This book – as the Chapel itself – is a tribute to the Finnish craftsmanship and to a lively community life. In Finland, tasks and work are often happily done together in groups. With “Talkoo” – the common commitment – the Matias-Kappeli was born, built and is still preserved today.
A book about a realization of a dream
The Persons, who are involved in the project, describe the motivation for their involvement as well as their work on the church itself. The texts are (of course) mainly in Finnish – some of them in Swedish as well as English and German. The book also contains numerous photos made in the time of building up the Matias Kappeli, the opening ceremony and the beautiful region of Virrat, where this church is located.
The book was born out of a need to tell the story of the birth of the chapel and to document the events and collaborators of the first years. The text is written by Kosti Helimäki and edited by Aino Alppinen. The layout and the production is made by Epi Klaubert, who is also responsible for most of the photos. You can get the book at the chapel for a donation starting from 25,00 Euro.
A beautiful souvenir, a wonderful gift and also a support of the work and the activities at the Matias Kappeli.
Lähellä taivasta you will receive for a donation starting from
€25,00
Sure, you are welcome to donate a higher amount. The money is used 100% for the operation and maintenance of Matias Kappeli. We are very thankful and happy about your donation. You can get the book at the Matias Chapel.
"The things which came to you by my teaching and preaching, and which you saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philipper 4:9
The Chapel's Story
The dream of the Matias Chapel
… was born in the early 1980s in the Helimäki family when the son Matti suggested to his father that the birch wood of the village of Härkönen in Virrat would be a good place to build a chapel. A quarter of a century later a group of friends gathered in that birch wood, and Reverend Matti’s dream of a chapel started to come true.
The granite boulders removed while building a family house for some friends found their place in the walls of the chapel. An international community connecting people from Virrat and abroad was born: the steel structures of the chapel were sent from Sweden, the marketing materials from Germany, the building project was funded by local companies, and EU funding was applied for with the support of the PoKo association. In addition, countless volunteers from near and far assisted in the different stages of the building project.
Matti’s brother acoustician Heikki Helimäki made the chapel into a unique acoustic space, where the uneven rock surfaces and smooth wooden surfaces create a special soundscape with the large glass window in one end and the custom-built doors in the other.
Matias Chapel added an important travel destination to Virrat in 2009, as it is known all around Finland to be one of the most attractive chapels of silence in the country.
The chapel is a place of listening, looking and calming down with an openly ecumenical and broad-minded approach. It is a meeting place and a haven of peace, rest and faith.
Opening Hours
The Matias Chapel is open every day from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm from the beginning of May until the end of October.
Reservation fee
The reservation fee is 100€ in summer and 140€ in winter. To make a reservation, please call +358 500 605 887.
Contact
The Matias Chapel is located in Virrat, Pirkanmaa, by the Härkösenlahti bay of the Vaskivesi lake. There is signposting from road 65.
Kappelitie 11, 34800 Virrat, Finland, +358 50 0605887
Supporters of our work
The building of the Matias Chapel was supported by
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development/Poko ry.
Helimäki Akustikot, Helsinki, Finland
Stål & Rörmontage AB, Sölvesborg, Sweden
Klaubert Kommunikation, Nienstädt, Germany
Matias-kappeliyhdistys ry.
Puheenjohtaja, seurakuntapastori Matti Helimäki
Nuumäentie 4 C 12 | 02710 Espoo
Kappelitie 11 | 34800 Virrat | Finland
