Ulla-Lena Lundberg - Ice

Papa’s speech opens the floodgates, and the fireworks begin. The bishop responds by saying how delighted he is that the Örlands have their first permanent vicar since time immemorial, a young, hearty pastor, passionate in spirit and faithful to the Lord, and at his side a wife to stand with him through all of life’s vicissitudes. The congregation could not have chosen a better way to manifest its support for this young couple than with its song and its presence here today. It is a sad fact that Örland parish often winds up beyond the edge of narrowly drawn maps, but today’s celebration has, at one stroke, established it as a central and valued member of the diocese. He pauses for a moment and then, with a slight bow to the governor, he expresses his gratitude to the representative of civil authority for showing such a kindly interest in the affairs of the church.

This is sufficient to bring the governor to his feet. He assures those present that it was a great honour for himself and his wife to be invited. It has been an unforgettable occasion. He has met old friends and made new acquaintances. It is a dear sight to see the people of the outer islands dressed for a celebration. Surrounded by such goodwill, the vicar of Örland can count himself truly fortunate. It is a pleasure for him to take this opportunity, on behalf of all the guests, to thank the host and hostess and the elected representatives of the parish for this perfectly wonderful day.

Then Uncle Isidor speaks. His voice quavering, he begins by conveying greetings from the entire family and the members of his former parish. “Dear nephew,” he says. But he has become emotional in his old age, and his voice breaks. He starts over. “Dear nephew. To see such a young man find his calling and win his place in the world—it fills us all with inspiration and gives us hope for the future.”

The assessor, who is the next to speak, reveals his earlier prejudice against the fishermen and fisherman-farmers of Örland when he says that this day has given him an entirely different picture of the Örland Islands and its laity. This is a smiling countryside with gifted and affectionate people. The hymns were memorable, and what collections! This poor parish actually leads the collection statistics for Åland. And what can one deduce from this? That the vicar is to be congratulated for such a congregation, and that the congregation is to be congratulated for having received a vicar who can bring out their best qualities.

Still amazed, he sits down, and then Sanna’s idol rises, Fredrik Berg, in sparkling good humour. For him, this has been a splendid day. All these people have had an intoxicating effect on him. He has spoken to the bishop and the dean and has met the governor and had long conversations with the organist and Adele Bergman and chatted about shared concerns with the priest from Föglö. Now he knocks them all out with his wit. Out here in the outermost archipelago, he begins, conditions are so special that people have to come up with their own solutions to problems and make their own independent decisions. Against this background, the distinguished gentlemen present may perhaps see fit to look with indulgence on the creation, on their own initiative, of an island deanery, where clerical concerns can be aired and mutual decisions reached by means of telephone conferences. As dean of this illegal deanery, it is the speaker’s particular joy to be able to take part in the consecration of his esteemed fellow clergyman as vicar. “My dear fellow priest!” he concludes. “Your name, Petrus, puts you under obligation. On the rocky cliffs of the Örland Islands you shall build your church, and here you shall carry the keys to the kingdom of heaven.”

The whole table applauds enthusiastically, and Sanna up in the window claps and claps and wishes that Uncle Berg would look up just once, but he doesn’t. He looks quickly at the people at the table and then down at the tablecloth and tries not to smile. His wife appears to like him better than she did earlier in the day when he ignored her completely and seemed not to care that she knew hardly a soul.

Priests are good at talking, and there is no one with a clerical collar under his chin who doesn’t feel called upon to say a few words. The bishop and the dean of Åland rise at the same moment, but the dean must yield to the bishop, who takes the words from his mouth. “The Archipelago Deanery comes as a complete surprise to me,” he says in an authoritative tone, but smiling, so everyone will see that he is mocking the gravity of his office. “But after due consideration I am prepared to give it my blessing. Everything that contributes to harmony is a benefit to the diocese.”

The priest from Föglö wants to know how to join, but Fredrik Berg is strict and says that he must first give up his bus connection to the Åland main island. The Föglö priest won’t do that, but he very much wants to belong to the archipelago group. This gives the dean of all Åland’s parishes his chance, and he extends a chivalrous invitation to the new group to attend all future meetings of the Åland deanery. He salutes the new vicar on behalf of all his fellow Åland clergymen.

Now all the priests have had their say, and it is admirable that father Leonard has been able to restrain himself all this time. Of course Petter has known all along that Papa will have to open his mouth at some point, and now he smiles from fear and looks down at his plate. Papa! No nonsense now, he wants to say, but Leonard has already started, as usual without the slightest idea of what he will say but with complete confidence that it will be excellent. “My dear son!” he begins. “If I, young and undecided, like a reed in the wind, sailing along between the Scylla and Charybdis of temptations, if I had been told then that my eldest son would become a priest and vicar, maybe a dean one fine day, I would have laughed out loud. Me, a free-thinker, with a son who’s a priest! I can truthfully say that God guides our steps in mysterious ways. Spiritual breezes blew my vessel past hidden rocks and into the bay where your mother waited. I give all the honour and credit for your becoming what you’ve become to her, not to myself.” And so on, mostly about himself, his own inconstancy and restlessness, whereas even as a child, his son showed himself to be calm, responsible, a rock. “Which, by the way, another speaker today has already referred to, quite rightly. Consequently it is perhaps forgivable that on a day like this, an old father can feel like a youth, who still has much to learn, compared with such a son. Or like an old ram in a herd of which the shepherd is his son. Perhaps it is meant to be so, as generation follows generation. Humble and chastened, my wife and I this day thank God for our son, who has given us such joy.”

Here he actually stops. Petter gives him a friendly nod and mouths thank you, and the whole table applauds. “Original, fantastic,” they say to one another. Meanwhile, the organist is collecting himself for the speech he’s to give on behalf of the Örlanders. He is nervous and begins in a thin, strained voice and gets a frog in his throat. It is hard for him, usually so humorous, to find the light-hearted tone that prevails around the table. It feels like some kind of upper-class mannerism and it makes him more serious than he’d meant to be. Adele looks at him, knows how nervous he can get, even though he manages everything so well.

“Dear Petter, dear Mona,” he says, now in a normal voice. “Young and lively and irresistible, you stepped straight into our hearts. In the beginning, we didn’t dare to believe you’d stay. Today, we dare to express the hope that we won’t have to change priests for a long time to come. We’ve been given a spiritual guide who understands us, a man who is not only educated but who also possesses great practical competence. In this poor little parish, he can make a real contribution, God willing, a life’s work. For example, we’re working to build a bridge to Church Isle. The foundation has been laid, thanks to the help of a generous Swede, and our vicar himself heads the volunteer effort that began last winter. But more money is needed. Perhaps there is someone at this table who can help us move ahead. This kind of work is one of the chief activities of a priest out here, while at the same time he must preach the word and administer the sacraments. Two tasks of great importance, and we hope that you, Petter, will remain our vicar for years to come, and you, Mona, his tireless helpmate.”