The Gospel of Mark in Finnish Romani to Be Published on April

Bible translation strengthens the status of minority languages

For a long time, the Finnish Romani community has dreamed of having the Bible in their own language. This year, a new translation of the Gospel of Mark has been completed in Finnish Romani. The translation is the result of cooperation between the Romani community and the Finnish Bible Society, with support from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Pentecostal Church of Finland, and the Free Church of Finland.

“When I read the Bible in Romani for the first time, it felt like a light was lit in my soul. The text became my own—it spoke to me in my language.”
— Tuula Åkerlund, translator

Finnish Romani is one of Finland’s official minority languages and has been spoken in Finland for about 500 years. The Romani population in Finland is estimated at around 10,000. Although the status of the Romani language is protected by law, its practical development and transmission to future generations have been a concern within the small language community. The language is endangered, as younger generations increasingly use Finnish as their first language.

Publication celebration in Oulu

The publication of the Romani translation of the Gospel of Mark will be celebrated at Easter on April 5, during the International Romani Day celebration at Oulu Cathedral. The event begins with a bilingual service, followed by speeches and musical performances. The celebration is part of the official programme of the Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture year.

“I believe that the Word of God has transformative power—and when we Romani people can hear and read it in our own language, it truly touches us and can even break our hearts. It is moving and beautiful to think that God speaks to us Romani in our own language. At the same time, this translation work is not only a spiritual act but also a cultural and linguistic statement: our endangered language is valuable and alive.”
— Henry Lindgren, planner for Romani affairs (Regional State Administrative Agency) and translator

“The vision many people have had of their own Bible, or part of it, takes concrete form in this translation. Professor Lari Kotilainen has said that knowing one’s own language and its history is like knowing more about oneself. I believe this translation will also help Roma people understand God more deeply. I hope it will inspire a growing interest in reading and studying the Bible.”
— Petri Määttä, Ecclesiastical Counsellor, Chair of the Advisory Board on Romani Affairs

The Romani-language Gospel of Mark strengthens the status of the minority language as a written and socially recognized language. The publication takes place close to the National Romani Day, celebrated on April 8.

“This translation work is a significant cultural achievement and a demonstration of strength by the Romani community. It is something worth celebrating.”
— Petri Merenlahti, Executive Director of the Finnish Bible Society

Translators are native speakers of Romani

The newly published Gospel of Mark is a fresh translation into clear and contemporary Romani.

The translators include native speakers of Finnish Romani: Miranda Vuolasranta, Tuula Åkerlund, Henry Hedman, and Henry Lindgren. Chris-Pekka Wilde, Lead Translation Consultant of the Finnish Bible Society, served as the project’s translation consultant. For the translators, the work has been meaningful not only linguistically but also in terms of identity.

“When read in one’s own language, the sacred text becomes one’s own. It is no longer just a translation—it creates a sense of ownership.”
— Miranda Vuolasranta

The Gospel of Mark was first published in Romani in 1970, the Gospel of John in 1971, and the Gospel of Luke in 2003. The new translation of Mark is based on a different source text than the previous version and has been revised both in quality and language for the 2020s.

Available in print and digital formats

The Finnish Bible Society publishes the new translation of the Gospel of Mark as a bilingual edition: the Romani text appears alongside the Finnish UT2020 translation. This supports readers whose command of Romani may not be strong.

In addition, the translation will be available digitally as both text and audiobook, narrated by Miranda Vuolasranta. These are freely accessible in the Piplia app and at: www.raamattu.fi

The International Romani Day celebration and the publication event on April 5, 2026 are organized by Romano Missio, the Pentecostal Church of Finland, the Free Church of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Finnish Bible Society, the Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture organization, and the Finnish Authority for Licensing and Supervision.