The original
parish church of
Umeå was built some time in the mid-seventeenth century. In
1720 the
Russian army invaded northern
Sweden and burned it down, also looting the
graveyard. A direct copy of the destroyed building was constructed in
1725, to which a steeple was added in
1852 to replace a demolished
bell tower.
On
Christmas Eve 1887, the church was destroyed by fire. The following year, the rest of the city burned too. Despite this setback, local architect
P O Lindström was commissioned to build a new church, and the current structure was consecrated in
Advent 1894. It is a large neo-gothic building in red brick, overlooking the town square on the north side and the river
Ume on the south. Initially there was no central
aisle, but this has since been changed, creating a very
English feeling church.
There is a small chapel known as the Little Church behind the
high altar, which is used for
morning prayer and other minor rites. On the walls of the Little Church are tapestry hangings depicting scenes from the
Bible. The High Altar itself is surmounted, in the usual Swedish fashion, by a carved altarpiece. This one depicts the
Crucifixion with
Mary and
John at the foot of the
cross, and an
angel with a book overhead.
The ceiling in the
crossing is adorned with paintings depicting the
evangelists. The stained glass windows in the
chancel are original to the building, and are of a type not generally seen in mainland
Europe due to wartime damage. On the southern, riverward side is a two-level extension with a
refectory, which is also used for receptions and choir practice. There are two pipe organs in the main building - a small one by the high altar, and a large one at the back.
Other churches in the parish are St Staffan's, Västerslätt; Helena-Elisabeth, Holmön, which is now at the
Gammlia open-air museum;
Holy Cross; and the new church at Ersboda.