2025 was a year of consolidation and transition for the Fabrique d’église du Sacré-Cœur, following the exceptional investments of 2024 related to the complete renovation of the church roof.

This surplus must be interpreted with care, as it was significantly influenced by a temporary loan of €50,000, taken out to ensure sufficient liquidity ahead of planned building projects that were ultimately postponed to 2026.

The Fabrique started 2025 with €77,957 in its bank accounts and ended the year with €142,621. This increase reflects the annual surplus and the temporary loan contracted to secure liquidity ahead of renovation projects postponed to 2026.

Where the money came from

• Rental income (€30,918) remained the Fabrique’s main and most stable source of financing, including the presbytery, the house next to the church, the parish hall, and the Proximus antenna in the church tower.
• Collections and donations declined, partly due to the departure of the Polish community and delayed transfers from the English-language community.
• A loan of €50,000 was contracted to prepare for major works that were later postponed

Where the money went

• Operating costs (energy, insurance, maintenance, liturgy, administration) amounted to about €15,148 (€1,262 per month).
• Energy costs increased, reflecting higher gas and electricity prices.
• Capital spending (€4,557) focused mainly on repairs following the 2024 fire, works in the church basement hall, and technical repairs in the presbytery.

Looking ahead

Several important building projects — notably the reconstruction and insulation of the presbytery roof and window replacements — could not be carried out in 2025 and are now planned for 2026. The Fabrique also plans to upgrade the church’s sound system and refurbish the sacristy and the adjacent room for altar servers, including the toilet facilities. The Fabrique remains financially stable, but regular collections continue to be insufficient to cover basic operating costs, underlining the importance of sustained support from the parish community.

Introduction

The present report provides an overview of the financial developments of the Fabrique d’église du Sacré-Cœur during the year 2025. Following the exceptional year 2024—dominated by the complete renovation of the church roof—2025 marked a return to more normal financial conditions, with significantly lower expenditure and no major investment projects completed.

Several construction projects initially planned for 2025 were postponed due to external circumstances and are now expected to be realised in 2026. Despite these delays, the Fabrique ensured sufficient liquidity to prepare for upcoming works.

The main financial developments during the year were as follows:

• Revenues returned to a normal level, as no exceptional subsidies or special collections were received.
• Rental income exceeded €30,000, confirming its role as the backbone of the Fabrique’s financing.
• Collections declined, partly due to changes in parish communities and administrative delays.
• Energy costs increased, reflecting higher gas and electricity prices.
• Several planned capital projects were postponed, leading to limited investment spending.
• The Fabrique recorded a substantial surplus, partly explained by a temporary loan contracted to secure liquidity.

Balance of Revenues and Expenditure

In 2025, the Fabrique d’église recorded a budget surplus of €64,660, compared to a deficit of €6,654 in 2024. Total revenues amounted to €93,011, while total expenditures reached €28,351.

It is important to note that this result was influenced by the contracting of a €50,000 loan, intended to finance major renovation works that were expected to start in 2025 but were postponed. Without this loan, the surplus would have been significantly lower.

Cash Position and Liquidity

The Fabrique d’église started the year 2025 with €77,957 in its bank accounts and ended the year with a balance of €142,621. This increase reflects the positive annual result as well as the contracting of a €50,000 loan intended to secure sufficient liquidity ahead of renovation projects that were planned for 2025 but postponed to 2026. The year-end cash position therefore does not represent excess free resources but largely reflects temporary financing linked to future investments.

Rental income increased further to €30,918, exceeding €30,000 for the first time. This category includes rents from the presbytery, the house next to the church, the parish hall, and the Proximus antenna installed in the church tower.

The rental income of the parish hall rose to about €5,000, reaching a level that appears close to its long-term potential. Other rents are indexed annually and are therefore expected to continue increasing in line with inflation. Rental income remains the most stable and predictable source of financing for the Fabrique.

Collections declined in 2025 to €7,451. This decrease reflects:

• the departure of the Polish community, and
• the late transfer of collections from the English-language community for the second half of the year.

Despite these temporary factors, collections remain structurally low and continue to fall short of covering basic operating costs such as energy, liturgy consumables, insurance, and maintenance.

Donations amounted to only €264 in 2025. This very low level reflects the absence of special collections or extraordinary donation campaigns previously linked to the church roof renovation.

The category “Other revenue” includes a loan of €50,000, contracted to secure liquidity ahead of planned construction projects. This amount does not represent income in the economic sense and will be repaid according to the agreed schedule.

Total energy costs increased to €12,685 in 2025, driven by higher gas and electricity prices affecting both the church and the presbytery.

Maintenance costs declined slightly. It should be noted that the invoice for the annual maintenance of the church organ of almost €1,000, normally paid within the year, was issued only in January 2026 and is therefore not included in the 2025 accounts.

Liturgy

Liturgical expenditure remained low in 2025, as no major restocking or purchases of liturgical objects were required.

Insurance and Overhead Costs

Insurance costs remained stable. Taxes of approximately €2,000 were paid for the presbytery building. Administrative and overhead costs remained under control.

Other

Other expenditure in 2025 includes the cost of an audio test of microphones and speakers, carried out in preparation for a planned upgrade of the church’s sound system (sonorisation) foreseen for 2026. The test aimed to assess the current technical condition and identify appropriate solutions to improve sound quality during liturgical celebrations. The cost of this test amounted to approximately €850.

Capital Spending

Capital spending in 2025 amounted to €4,557 and focused mainly on:

• sanitation and repairs following the fire in the church in 2024,
• repairs to the parish hall in the church basement,
• technical works at the presbytery, including repairs to canalisation and the rainwater cistern in the basement.

Planned but Postponed Projects

Several major projects initially planned for 2025 were not realised:

• reconstruction and insulation of the presbytery roof, which has suffered from leaks for several years,
• replacement of the front windows of the presbytery,
• replacement of windows in the rented house next to the church.

The total value of these projects was estimated at approximately €110,000. Despite having completed administrative procedures and selected a contractor, the projects were postponed and later cancelled due to the contractor’s failure to proceed. These works are now expected to be carried out in 2026.

Outlook for 2026

In 2026, the Fabrique plans to resume postponed renovation projects, particularly those related to the presbytery. While the financial position remains sound, the experience of 2025 confirms that regular collections alone are not sufficient to cover operating costs, making rental income and careful financial planning essential for the future.

In addition, the Fabrique plans to upgrade the church’s sound system in order to improve audibility during liturgical celebrations. Furthermore, a project to refurbish the sacristy and the adjacent room for altar servers, including the toilet facilities, is being prepared. For this project, a partial subsidy of approximately €11,000 from the Region can be obtained.