Saint James's Church

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Renovation of Saint James's Church is Underway 

Saint James's Church is only open for booked ecclesiastical events and ceremonies during the summer of 2024. From September 1, 2024, the church will close completely for renovation and is planned to reopen by the first Advent in 2025.

Why is the church being renovated and what will be done?

The church requires overdue maintenance and renovation. Issues such as ventilation, water, sewage, and heating need to be addressed, to name a few. Additional toilets will be created.

To create better conditions for meetings in the church by adding two meeting rooms at the back of the north and south aisles. Meeting technology will be integrated into the church space. 

To make the church more accessible to the public and to create exhibitions about the Church of Sweden, Christian faith, and the cultural heritage of Saint James's Church.

To create better conditions for services and concerts by improving sound and lighting, among other things.

The church is now owned by the Diocese of Stockholm.

The diocese is a regional level of the Church of Sweden and is led by Bishop Andreas Holmberg. As the church is now part of the diocese's operations, it will differ from a parish church. Services and concerts will certainly continue, and the church will be open to the public, but it will also be used for meetings and events related to the diocese's activities.

We will continuously publish information and videos about the renovation here.

Welcome back. 
Feel free to read about the church on Wikipedia. 

A piece of the history

St. James’s Church and cemetery have a history that stretches back to the 14th century. During the Middle Ages, a leper hospital with a chapel and cemetery was established here to care for the poor. At that time, the northern suburb was a separate town with its own coat of arms and seal. The chapel was initially built of wood and later in stone, but it was eventually demolished by Gustav Vasa in 1527 to contribute to Stockholm’s city wall. In the 1580s, the construction of the current church began under the leadership of King John III. The architect was Willem Boy, who had come to Sweden from what is now Belgium, ironically enough at the request of Gustav Vasa. The church was inaugurated, after a long interruption, on the first Sunday of Advent in 1643 with Queen Christina present. In the 1640s, Norrmalm received a new city plan, and several noble palaces began to be built where wooden shacks had previously stood. St. James’s Church now became the church of the nobility, which is evident today in the many gravestones and funeral coats of arms that adorn the floors and walls inside the church.

The building has influences from late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo styles and is characterized today by its red color, central tower, and the sculpted sandstone portals, particularly the southern portal from 1644. The church has undergone several reconstructions and renovations over the years. Despite this, the exterior has looked the same since the plaster was applied in the 18th century, except for the red color that was added during a restoration in the 1960s. The red color was chosen to recall the original brick church that was painted red with white joints. The interior of the church has been subject to several reconstructions during the 19th and 20th centuries. The church’s interior is characterized by high walls, columns, and vaults from the original church, the organ façade from the 1740s, stained glass windows from the 1890s, and the altarpiece from the reconstruction in the 1930s. Soon, the church’s interior will receive yet another layer of history to add to its story.