‘Divine intervention’ gives Swedish town gas

Set for a formal grand opening on Saturday, complete with speeches and songs from a children’s choir, the new drive-thru pump is the first church-run petrol station in Sweden, the Kyrkans Tidning newspaper reports.

The station, which is situated near the village of Tärnsjö, is the result of a 5 million kronor ($715,000) investment by members of the Nora parish.

A joint-stock company created by the parish is responsible for operating the pumps, and an adjoining retail shop, which is set for completion later this autumn, will be rented out to another operator.

Tärnsjö hasn’t had its own petrol station since last winter, forcing the village’s 1,200 residents to drive elsewhere to fill their tanks.

“Our own petrol station is important for the survival of the whole village,” parish council chair Per Eriksson told the newspaper.