Merchtem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 2 churches in Merchtem (Brussegem, Hamme) are changing purpose, no longer hosting religious services but are used for events. Merchtem’s Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Noodkerk is being restored, costing €1.2M, with €640,000 government subsidies.
2 churches in Merchtem, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, Brussegem and Hamme, are changing their purpose. They are historical buildings. They won’t be used for religious services anymore, so no more weddings, funerals, or masses. But the buildings will still be used for other things.
An official, David De Valck, said that even though they are no longer churches, they could be used for businesses. He said that a church in Ghent was changed into a supermarket, so it’s possible to do that with these churches, too.
How are the churches in Brussegem and Hamme being repurposed?
The churches in Brussegem and Hamme will still be used for things like concerts and meetings, even though they won’t be used for religious services anymore. The churches will officially stop being places of worship, but people can still have religious ceremonies there if they want.
David De Valck mentioned that no one will be stopped from having religious services in the churches. He said that this change is happening because many old churches are being used for other things, like community events or businesses, while still keeping their historical importance.
A church in Merchtem called Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Noodkerk is fixing up the roof and inside of the church, and the last part of the work will start in August 2025. It will take about a year to finish, and they’ll start after the Merchtem fair, so it doesn’t get in the way.
The inside of the church will be fixed up, including painting. They’ll use a special treatment to stop insects from affecting the wood. This last part of the restoration will cost about 1.2 million euros, but they’ll get 640,000 euros from the government to help. According to David De Valck, once the work is done, the church will be in great shape and ready to be used by people for at least the next 2 generations.
