On March 23, 2020 in Helsinki, Bishop Emeritus Arri Kugappi will be awarded the Cross of St. Henry during a special ceremony. It is the highest award of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. This order has been awarded to outstanding figures, including those from outside Finland, since 2007. A total of 17 persons have since been honored with this award including Rev. Paul Saar who served the congregation in Petrozavodsk from 1980 to 1992 and Rt. Rev. Leino Hassinen, the first bishop of The Church of Ingria as it was re-emerging in the early 1990’s. The decision to bestow the award is made by the Archbishop of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
The Cross of St. Henry (like two other church awards, the Cross of Mikael Agricola and the Pro ecclesia Medal) was designed by Mauno Honkanen, a noted Finnish artist, designer, and silversmith. The order is named after the legendary bishop Henry of Uppsala (? – ca. 1156) who participated in the Christianization of Finland.