KIRUNA, Sweden -- The members of Kiruna Church primarily worship in Swedish, their country's main language.
But this Lutheran church some 120 miles above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages -- Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli -- into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912.
"We are talking about the language of the heart," vicar Lena Tjärnberg said. "That's very important, that you can hear some of the words in your language."
The church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, moved about three miles east on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of Kiruna's relocation because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town. The church clo