The best-known Finnish representative of the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation, priest, translator
Background
Johannes Jussoila came from an important burgess family in Rauma. His father and maternal grandfather both served as mayors of the town. Johannes had 3 brothers – Michael, Laurentius (died young without completing their studies) and Joseph.
Education
Under the influence of the Jesuit father Laurentius Nicolai Norvegus, who was appointed rector of the college in 1576, Jussoila was converted to Roman Catholicism and devoted himself to the service of the Counter-Reformation. Johannes Jussoila studied in Rome until May 1580. He left Italy ready to work for the Roman Catholic reformation in Sweden. Since the death of Queen Catharine Jagellonica in 1583, however, John’s III attitude to the Roman Catholics had cooled, and it was therefore decided to postpone Jussoila’s return. He used the additional time to continue his studies at the Jesuit college in Braunsberg and Olomouc at the University of Vienna. Jussoila completed the courses required for the degree of Master of Arts at Olomouc in the spring of 1584. He is mentioned as a Master a few times in sources, but there is no certainty as to whether he actually took out his degree. While a student, Johannes Jussoila had already been given tasks associated with the propogation of Roman Catholicism in Sweden and Finland. He translated Petrus Canisius’ well-known catechism into Finnish and then continued work on a Finnish grammar originally entrusted to his fellow-countryman Olaus Marci Sundergelteus. It would appear that neither work was printed, and the manuscripts have not survived.
Jussoila student days ended in spring 1584. The papal legate Antonio Possevino ordained him a priest in Prague on 22, May 1584, and he was then sent to Sweden as a chaplain to Prince Sigismund.
Career
He preached in Stocholm in both Swedish and Finnish and distributed books and tracts in which he attacked Lutheran doctrine. In Sweden, Jussoila worked energetically on behalf of the Roman Catholic reformation.