So then, if you have not been faithful with iniquitous mammon, who will trust you with what is true?
How we finance our church
The church is managed by the Fabrique d’église, which has several sources of revenues. The most important and steady ones are listed below:
- Rental income
- Mass collections and donation
- Income from the installation of the Proximus antenna
- Communal and regional subsidies for financing large-scale investment projects
We present a historical overview of these income categories as well as their structure. Rental income accounts for over half of all revenue if we disregard a large subsidy received in 2024 to repair the church roof. About a third of regular revenue comes from collections and donations.
What we spend on
The primary responsibility of the Fabrique d’église is to maintain the church building and the presbytery, and finance any cult-related expenses. As spending is more varied, we group spending in the following categories:
- Energy costs in the church and presbytery
- Maintenance which includes servicing of the organ, bells, and extinguishers as well as cleaning
- Liturgical celebration expenses include hosts, wine, candles, books
- Overhead costs include office supplies, bank fees, webhosting, and real estate taxes
- Capital spending covers reparations and investments in all the buildings
Average annual spending is distorted by a large investment in 2019 when a hall in the church basement was renovated and 2024 reparation of the church roof. In terms of current expenditure, insurance and energy costs are the greatest components accounting for some 65% of total spending.
For a more detailed explanation, please view one of our most recent financial reports at the bottom of the page.
Financial reports
Financial outcomes in 2024
Last year featured a large project of fixing the church roof, which pushed the budget into red figures. Although the reparation works dragged due to technical issues, they were finalized in August (see box for more detailed information). An upleasant event was fire, which broke out in the church on
Financial outcomes in 2023
Following a deficit in 2022, the budget returned to a stunning surplus in 2023. This was largely thanks to the church roof replacement project scheduled for 2024, for which we organized special collections and limited reparations to recurring roof damages. The primary objective of 2023 was securing repair of the
Financial outcomes in 2022
After a 2021 surplus year, the budget returned to a deficit in 2022 mainly on account of a steep increase in energy prices, unexpected taxation imposed by the Belgian authorities, recurrent outlays on the reparation of the church roof, as well as further reconstruction works in the basement of the
Financial outcomes in 2021
After two deficit years, the budget returned to a surplus in 2021, thanks to a slow convergence of revenues to the pre-crisis levels and a somewhat restrained investment activity, which kept expenditures relatively low. Nevertheless, this positive development hides some trends that need deeper reflection. On the revenue side, mass
Financial outcomes in 2018
In 2018, the FE reached a surplus of 11 258 €, which was lower than in 2017. On the revenue side this was mainly due to a shortfall of rental revenue and methodological changes (see below). The expenditures were on the other side higher especially due to a refurbishment of