- The Diocese of Hasselt confirmed four churches in Maasmechelen will be repurposed
- Meeswijk church will be the first
- A structural survey will decide whether Vucht or Leut church is the fourth
- New uses will be decided over several years with residents and heritage experts
A Belgian diocese has confirmed that four churches in the Flemish town of Maasmechelen will be given new uses, Brussels Morning reported in October 2025.
The Diocese of Hasselt said the church in Meeswijk will be the first to be repurposed. The Kotem congregation will move to Boorsem, and worshippers from Mariaheide will move to St Barbara’s Church in Eisden. A structural survey will decide whether the church in Vucht or Leut becomes the fourth.
The diocese cited falling attendance, fewer priests and rising maintenance costs. It said that “it has not yet been decided what the new roles of the churches will be”, and that the process will take several years and involve residents, parishioners and heritage experts.
The decision is part of a wider trend in Flanders that began in 2018, when the regional government asked municipalities and dioceses to draw up long-term plans for underused church buildings.
Flanders offers a structured approach: government asks for long-term plans, dioceses group congregations into fewer buildings, and local people help decide new uses. Jamaica’s denominations, many with several small churches in the same district, could benefit from similar planning, merging congregations into well-maintained buildings and finding community, housing or commercial uses for the rest before they fall into disrepair.
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