Building churches and chapels

Supporting Christian communities by building churches

Aid to the Church in Need is helping to build and restore hundreds of churches and chapels around the world.

Some of these churches have been destroyed, burnt or desecrated, while others have fallen into disrepair after many years of use. Many are new places of worship in countries where the faith is growing rapidly.

For Christian communities around the world, the church is a place of prayer, a visible symbol of faith and a focal point for the community. It is where the people come together to celebrate Mass, worship God, learn about the Faith and pray before the Blessed Sacrament.

In parts of Africa where resources are not available, some Christian communities gather together inside a space marked out by stones – the foundation stones of their own house of God. Elsewhere, Mass is celebrated outdoors under trees or a temporary shelter.

And in former Soviet countries like Ukraine, the Faith survived for more than 70 years thanks to secret Masses said in forests and caves.

Because of this deep spiritual need, Aid to the Church in Need helps Christian communities in around 130 countries to have their own chapel or church in which to worship.

The Church-building projects we support vary dramatically in scale. It might be providing a tin roof for a makeshift Mass shelter in Africa, building a parish church in China or supporting a landmark Cathedral project in Kosovo.

Bareilly Cathedral under construction in India

Villagers help to build a church in Vietnam

A church under construction in Haiti

A church under construction in Madagascar

Everyone lends a hand constructing the church in Madagascar

The ‘Green Cathedral’ in Sudan where open air Mass is celebrated

A church community in Vietnam line up in front of a church

Lviv seminary under construction in Ukraine

Building a church is expensive. How can I help?

Outside Europe, the average cost of building a church is in the region of £25,000 – though costs will vary considerably depending on the size of the building, the country and the economic climate.

Make a donation to Aid to the Church in Need's construction projects

Any contribution you can make, no matter how small, will bring a parish's dream of their own church a step closer to realisation. Even a gift of £5 will pay for one more brick to be set in place.

Make a donation to help build a church or chapel 

Help raise funds to build a church

From time to time individual benefactors, grant making bodies or parish groups offer to support a particular construction project. This support is sometimes in the form of a donation In Memory of a loved one or as part of a Parish Project.

Obtaining regular reports and photos of the project you are supporting can be difficult at times, so we only propose projects that best meet the needs of the donor.

Find out more about supporting a specific project on our Adoption Projects page