"There is almost no summer night in the north; only a lingering evening, darkening slightly as it lingers, but even this darkening has its ineffable clarity. It is the approaching presentiment of the summer morning. When the music of late evening has sunk to a violet, dusky pianissimo, so delicate that it lengthens into a brief rest, then the first violin awakens with a soft, high cadence in which the cello soon joins, and this inwardly perceived tone picture is supported outwardly by a thousand-tongued accompaniment twittering from a myriad of branches and from the heights of the air. It is already morning, yet a moment ago it was still evening."

Frans Emil Sillanpää (1888-1964): People in the summer night (translated by Alan Blair)

Finnish writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1939.

Welcome to Tampere in June 2008!

We cordially invite all of you who offer spiritual and pastoral care in university communities, colleges, universities of applied sciences/polytechnics, institutes of vocational education and other related educational environments to the 3rd Global Conference of University and College chaplains, Campus Ministers and Religious Professionals at Tampere, Finland on 30 June – 4 July 2008.

We warmly welcome all religious professionals, religious advisers, directors and co-ordinators of religious life, campus ministers and university chaplains to the conference. It will be held in Finland, the country of tens of thousands of lakes, in Tampere, a city surrounded by two lakes.

Light is very precious to us in our country. We live in deprivation of light during several months of the year. However, in the summer when our conference takes place, we have light in the abundance, in the Northern parts of the country 24 hours a day. From this contrast we have drawn the theme of our conference:

Reflecting Light
Reflecting on Faith: celebrating diversity
Reflecting on Justice: sharing our stories
Reflecting on the Profession: searching for common ground

Together with you we will be reflecting on the theme and the different aspects of it.

Welcome to the conference!

Peter Gustavson
Chair of the Finnish Host  Committee
University Chaplain, Turku and Kaarina Parish Union

Risto Korhonen
Chair of the Local Host Committee
University Chaplain, Tampere Parish Union