John III gave an order in 1576 that a wooden chapel be built on the place on Södermalm, where Sten Sture the Younger's corpse and the corpses of the people killed at the Stockholm Bloodbath in 1520 were burned.

[2] The whole of Södermalm, however, belonged to Maria Parish (Maria församling), until Charles X Gustav in 1654 issued a permit that the eastern part would constitute a special parish and a church would be built on the site of the said chapel.

[2] This church, which is depicted in Erik Dahlbergh's Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, was ravaged by the fire that destroyed most of Södermalm in 1723, but was restored by Göran Josuæ Adelcrantz and rededicated in 1724.

In 1906 a new altar group was set up in sculpture (by Johan Axel Wetterlund), and the church received four window paintings (composed by Olle Hjortzberg).

Within its area were Sofia Church and Diakonissanstaltens kyrka, Danviken Hospital and Helgalund Chapel (Helgalundskapellet).