8 Beautiful Churches that Have Been Converted to Secular Uses

Christianity in Europe is dying, and has been for some time. Churches are empty, they can’t be maintained, and so more and more are being sold or abandoned. Some of them end up demolished, while others are simply converted to some secular use.

While some of these uses are mostly benign (e.g. bookstore) and look nice, is it safe to say there’s a crisis of faith when big beautiful churches are being turned into skate parks and nightclubs?

In no particular order, here are 8 examples of churches that have been converted to secular uses:

[See also: 11 Beautiful Wooden Churches of Eastern Europe]

[See also: 12 Amazing Virtual Tours of the World’s Most Spectacular Churches]

1) Church of Santa Barbara in Llanera, Spain: Skate Park

And here’s a video about the artist who did the artwork, as well as some better views of the inside of the building:

2) Kelvinside Parish Church in Glasgow, Scotland: Event center, nightclub, bar, and restaurant

3) St. Nicholas Church in Kyloe, England: A private home

4) Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands: Bookstore

5) Broerenkerk church in Zwolle, Netherlands: Bookstore

6) Old military chapel in Antwerp, Belgium: Restaurant

7) Gothic chapel in Kingston, England: Fishing lodge

8) St. John the Baptist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Brewpub

[See also: Inside Antarctica’s Catholic Ice Chapel, the World’s Southernmost Church]

[See also: 12 Beautiful Pieces of Modern Catholic Art]