From industrial worker to priest
When the company Byggelit closed down its particleboard factory in Ambjörby, around 40 employees were affected. Annica Olsson was one of those who lost their job when the company decided to move the operations to improve efficiency. Annica had worked as a machine operator and forklift driver, but she was also active in the trade union. It fell to her to hold conversations with the laid-off employees in order to establish transition plans.
Since the interview was conducted, Annica has changed employer and now works in Ekshärad Parish.
The commitment that led to the priest’s robe
Her own transition plan initially took somewhat of a back seat, but a thought about the church had begun to take root. When she was a confirmation student, she had been encouraged to study to become a priest, but at the time it had felt distant, so instead she trained as a process technician.
It has always been in Annica’s nature to be committed, responsible, and to stand up against injustices, and in her role as a union representative she has been the one who mediated, held conversations, and fought to help others — not entirely unlike the duties of a priest. The final push to take the step into the world of the church came from the vicar Birgitta Halvardsson, who encouraged her, and after that the journey began that has now reached its destination with her ordination as a priest.
Being a priest entails a special responsibility towards God, the Church, and one’s fellow human beings. The work should be carried out so that God is honoured, people are strengthened, and God’s will is fulfilled in the world. It may sound like a great and difficult task, but Annica Olsson radiates confidence in her new role.
– I have been so warmly welcomed by colleagues and the local community. I feel that I have great support in an incredibly professional team and have truly been welcomed in.
It feels really good. Don’t hesitate to change career path even later in life. Take the chance. This is the best thing I have done in my entire life and I don’t regret a second.
From decision to theology studies in Uppsala
Anyone who wants to become a priest must first be accepted as a priest candidate in a diocese. The applicant’s suitability is then assessed based on factors such as faith, leadership qualities, and intellectual, social, and empathetic ability. This is followed by a master’s degree in theology and then a year of final studies at the Church of Sweden’s Education Institute.
I decided to take one semester at a time and see how it felt. I was 47 when I started studying, but I haven’t been the oldest. Theology attracts a wide mix of different ages.
Annica chose to move to Uppsala during her studies.
– It felt good to be there in person and meet my fellow students. My husband is a traveling installer, so he wasn’t at home during the weeks anyway, and the children had grown up and become independent. I have had incredible support from home, and that has truly helped. It would also have been possible to study remotely, and because of the pandemic that’s how it was for part of the education, and that worked well too.
Annica says that the studies have at times been demanding, with a lot of reading. In addition, the education includes learning either Greek or Hebrew in order to study and interpret the biblical source texts and be able to assess the translations oneself.
– That has been the most challenging part of the education. I chose to study Greek, which is the language the New Testament was originally written in.
Priest life in the countryside
Annica now looks forward to settling into her new priestly role and getting to know the parish better. She already knows many people, of course, but from now on she will meet them in a new and different role. Annica feels pleased to serve as a priest in a rural parish.
– Each individual becomes more visible, and you have the chance to get to know everyone. In addition, the organization is very flexible and open to trying new ways of working.
It is important to adapt the activities and the message to the times and to the surrounding society. In northern Värmland, that can mean meeting people at rallycross competitions, arranging a philosophical après-ski, or moving activities out into the divine nature. Only the imagination sets the limits.
– It becomes what you make of it. Feel free to come with ideas and we promise to do what we can to be accommodating.
When asked whether she feels she has changed as a person through her new title, Annica quickly answers that she is the same person as before. Being a priest today means being a person among people, and it does not imply an elevated position or authority as it may have been associated with in the past.
– Thank God for that, Annica concludes.
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