Catholics in Scandinavia are a small minority.
In Denmark, less than 1% of the population belongs to the Catholic Church. For many lay people, this means something deeper than statistics: A quiet distance from the faith.
This was something, the initiative taker behind the project, Catholic Convert Benedikte Møller experienced when she entered into the church. "As a Danish person, entering into the church, not only did i become a minority within my old group of friends and family, I also became a minority within the church. Most Catholics in Denmark are decendents of immigrants.Mostly Vietnamese, Polish or middle eastern, I experienced that they had a language and a very different foundation for faith than I. In our very secular region of the world, it also seemed to me like they where more accepted - non religious people saw it as a cultural thing that they went to church on sunday. Most of my peers, and especially my siblings found it extremely weird, almost provocative that i chose to spend my sunday in church, and my weekday afternoons in adoration. I would be asked questions such as "You do know you dont have to do that?" "You are wasting your time, we miss the old you" and by more open minded courious friends, I would be asked "but why?"- I did not have the words to describe how deeply touched my heart was by the Eucharist - and I had no words for explaining the theology.
My priests were from southern Europe and while i am eternally gatefull for the work they are doing here in Denmark, and the way they serve our community, I continuously found myself struggling between faith, culture, and language. It took me years to realize how profound the lack of catholic resources in ones own language, negatively influences ones spiritual strength.
It was only when I met a Catholic religious sister, born and raised danish, she asked me about how my faith was going. I said i found it difficult to keep up, i had no words to describe it. But I had difficulty finding prayers, books and podcasts in danish. Instead of telling me where to search, books to read, or hang in and not being so lazy - she with a little sigh, and a nodding approval just said :"yes. that is difficult to find".
I thought to my self, if even a Sister finds it difficult to find resources in danish, I am not the issue. I had not understood why it was so difficult for me to keep my faith, telling my fellow Danes about Jesus, and finding resources - well there were simply not a lot of them. A few weeks later i fell upon the articles XXX and XXX decribing my lived experience
Research shows that people internalize religious texts far more deeply in their first language. Studies such as David L. Akehurst’s Language, Literacy and Religion (2015) highlight that while second-language resources can be helpful, they often fail to convey the full nuance, cultural meaning, or emotional resonance of Scripture and Church teaching.
Similarly, J. B. Green and S. Baker in Bible Translation and the Transmission of the Gospel (2010) emphasize that native-language Scripture and catechesis increase comprehension, personal connection, and engagement with faith communities.
Without access to the Gospel in one’s own language, Catholics may experience spiritual distance, finding faith abstract or foreign, with key concepts, prayers, and Scripture failing to fully resonate. Many rely on foreign resources, which, though valuable, can miss local context and make faith feel culturally disconnected. This can result in weaker formation, where believers attend Mass but struggle to understand the meaning behind prayers, sacraments, and Church teaching - in some instance resulting in the individual falling away from the faith.
Evangelization is also limited, as those who do not fully grasp the Gospel in their language may feel less confident sharing it. Furthermore, faith can feel culturally imposed rather than lived, leaving believers isolated and disconnected from their local parish communities. Ultimately, without native-language teaching, the ability to live, understand, and share the faith is significantly weakened.
