Future for Religious Heritage

13/04/2026

📢 The Call for Papers for the FRH Biennial Conference 2026 is now open!

Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) is delighted to invite submissions for its next Biennial Conference, taking place on 22–23 October in Leuven, Belgium.

Under the theme “The Time is Now: How to Future-Proof Religious Heritage”, the conference will explore two themes: 1️⃣ Community-driven and holistic approaches for heritage management and 2️⃣ policy frameworks and tools at different levels.

🗣️Who can participate?🗣️
We welcome contributions from researchers, heritage practitioners, civil society organisations, NGOs, community groups, and early-career professionals working on the stewardship, reuse, and revitalisation of religious heritage.

📄Selection📄
The FRH Scientific Advisory Committee will invite the authors of the 16 best abstracts to produce a poster that will be exhibited at the conference. From these, two will also be invited for a short oral presentation.

📅 The deadline to participate is 15 May 2026 at 12:00 CET.

Learn more about the call and submit your proposal on this page 👉 https://www.frh-europe.org/events/conferences/frh-biennial-conference-2026/call-for-papers/

09/04/2026

How can Europe sustainably adapt its religious heritage to today’s realities?

Our upcoming FRH Talk “Patterns and Paths of Adapting Church Buildings in Poland” (🗓️ 16 April, 12:00 to 13:00 CET) will explore how historical trajectories, post-socialist changes, and evolving social and cultural dynamics are leading to transformations in sacred heritage in this Eastern European country.

The session will be led by Maria Arno, who thoroughly analyses this topic in her latest book, Adaptive Reuse of Roman Catholic Churches: Good Practice and Viable Solutions for Converting Sacred Spaces.

Register now ➡️ https://www.frh-europe.org/frh-talks-patterns-and-paths-of-adapting-church-buildings-in-poland

16/02/2026

📣 Call for Contributions – International Panel 📣

The Centro Studi Cherubino Ghirardacci, a Bologna-based research institution and member of Future for Religious Heritage (FRH), is seeking contributions to complete their accepted open panel for the next conference of the European Academy of Religion (EUARE) in Rome (30 June – 3 July 2026).

🗣️ Open panel 🗣️
The panel 'Christian Communities and the Production of Space: Agency, Power and Purposes' explores how Christian communities, beyond formal hierarchies, are actively involved in shaping public and urban spaces, including processes of reuse and reinterpretation of ecclesiastical heritage. Discussions will address themes like:
🔸 Community, power and urban presence
🔸 Parishes as spaces of proximity and social innovation
🔸 Reuse and re-signification of deconsecrated or re-imagined religious spaces
🔸 Legal, economic and heritage challenges in community-led practices

📝 Contributions 📝
The team is currently seeking 8 original and in-depth paper contributions to complete the panel (12 panellists in total). Each selected presenter will have 15–20 minutes to share their work.

📅 Submission deadline: 13 March 2026
🔗 More details: https://www.frh-europe.org/the-cherubino-ghirardacci-study-centre-calls-for-8-panel-contributions-for-euare-2026/

🔗Submission link: https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/it/proposal-submission-2026

22/01/2026

🔍 Call for Inputs: Religious Heritage Education & Training in Europe

Our Young Professionals and Researchers Working Group is currently working on a pan-European study on religious heritage education, looking at how knowledge, skills, and training in this field are structured across three educational levels:
1️⃣ School level – workshops, curricula, outreach, and awareness initiatives
2️⃣ Undergraduate level – degrees and modules related to religious heritage
3️⃣ Postgraduate & professional level – specialised courses, training programmes, and research pathways

While they’ve gathered substantial data, they are still missing information on certain educational courses and training initiatives across Europe, particularly those that may be:
- Less visible internationally
- Organised by NGOs, faith-based organisations, heritage bodies, or local institutions
- Short-term, experimental, or practice-oriented

If you have been involved in, taught, or attended such programmes, or know of courses, workshops, or training initiatives related to religious heritage (at any of the three levels), our YPRWG would be very grateful if you could fill out the Google form below.

This study aims to identify gaps, accessibility issues, and interdisciplinary blind spots in religious heritage education; so every input helps build a more accurate and inclusive picture of what exists on the ground.

Thank you in advance for your time and for helping strengthen the future of religious heritage education in Europe.

➡️https://forms.gle/ET3tmVtrPjWKJwZf8

This form supports an ongoing FRH study on (religious) heritage education across school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, specifically in Europe. The information shared will be used for research and mapping purposes only.

16/01/2026

📣 We are delighted to announce the first FRH Talk of 2026⛪✨!

Across Europe, religious buildings are undergoing major transformations as communities rethink how these spaces can continue to serve society in sustainable and meaningful ways.

In this engaging session, researchers Kerstin Menzel and Manuela Klauser from the TRANSARA research group will share insights from their six-year study on how church buildings in Germany are being transformed, paying attention to the social, cultural & institutional factors and challenges that influence these processes.

Join us for a comprehensive overview of the current reuse trends and strategies across the country!
🔗 https://www.frh-europe.org/frh-talks-patterns-and-paths-of-adapting-church-buildings-in-germany/

02/12/2025

💻 Join us for an insightful FRH Talk exploring the innovative heritage management model of the MUDD - Museo Diocesano Diffuso di Napoli, 🏛️ a recent initiative by Fondazione Napoli C'entro to transform the city's artistic and religious heritage into a catalyst for regeneration, youth empowerment and sustainable development.

Our guest speaker, Vincenzo Porzio, director of Fondazione Napoli C’entro, will give us an insight into how the initiative began, what role young people are playing in it, and how other regions and cities can take similar heritage and community-driven actions.

📅 Tuesday, 2 December | 12:00 -13:00 CET
🗣️ Via Zoom

Join us for this inspiring exchange on the transformative power of religious heritage!

More information & registrations➡️: https://lnkd.in/eYedD864

10/10/2025

Maaike de Jong's third week walking the French Way to Santiago de Compostela gives us a beautiful reflection on the deep sense of connection with the path that many pilgrims experience when walking this centuries-old pilgrimage route 🍂🌲🥢 .

📜 Camino Francés, Heritage along the way 📜

The journey continues smoothly, and we walked one of the most beautiful stretches so far: from the Cruz de Ferro down through the hills to Ponferrada and further on to Villafranca del Bierzo, right in the heart of the El Bierzo wine region. The landscape itself breathes heritage: centuries-old vineyards, villages shaped by pilgrimage, and the enduring rhythm of the Camino.

At the Cruz de Ferro, high in the mountains, I too placed a stone, a small gesture in a centuries-old tradition. For me, as a modern pilgrim, it felt unexpectedly powerful: laying down that stone was more than just a ritual. It became a moment of silence, reflection, and a sense of connection with generations of pilgrims who had walked before me.

In Ponferrada, the impressive Templar castle rises over the city. Since the Middle Ages, the Knights Templar guarded the safety of pilgrims facing the difficult and sometimes dangerous stages through the mountains. Walking along its walls, I could feel how their presence still shapes the pilgrimage experience today, a symbol of protection, but also of the challenges that are part of the journey.

Further along, in Villafranca del Bierzo, often called the “little Santiago”, I was struck by its unique tradition: pilgrims who, through illness or exhaustion, could not complete the road to Santiago were still granted a full indulgence here. This medieval practice shows that heritage is not only built of stone but also embodies values of care and compassion that remain meaningful across centuries.

For me, as a modern pilgrim, this layering is what resonates most: heritage as architecture, ritual, story, and human value. It shows how religious heritage along the Camino is more than history, it is living heritage, still offering strength, comfort, and inspiration today for many along the Way.

07/10/2025

📢 We are pleased to invite you to a new session of our FRH Talks in which we will take a closer look at the role of digital humanities in cultural heritage documentation, accessibility and preservation 💻🏛️.

The session, featuring Harriet Sonne de Torrens, will focus on a specific example, the Baptisteria Sacra Index (BSI), an international iconographic index of baptismal fonts from early Christianity to the 17th century, which provides comprehensive data, inscriptions, images of fonts and settings, and geographical and historical information.

📅 Tuesday, 14 October
🕓 16:00 - 17:00 CET

Register now at ➡️ https://www.frh-europe.org/frh-talks-exploring-the-baptisteria-sacra-index-a-digital-gateway-to-religious-heritage/

06/10/2025

🗨️Today, we would like to share the testimonial of Vladislav, a young cultural heritage professional who has recently contributed to the documentation and maintenance of gravestones🪦📸📃 at the Moravian Church Settlement of Herrnhut, thanks to the training courses offered by European Heritage Volunteers 👇 .

My name is Vladislav Kabokhin, and I am studying Cultural Heritage at the University of Milan. This August and September, I participated in three training courses and projects with European Heritage Volunteers.

One of the projects was held at the historic God’s Acre, the cemetery of the Moravian Church Settlement of Herrnhut, part of the recently inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site "Moravian Church Settlements". The work included documentation and maintenance of the historical site, cleaning and photo-documenting the gravestones in particular.

Apart from practical experience and studying the concepts behind the reconstruction and maintenance of historic parks, this project allowed me to experience the strong spirit of the local community. Together with pastors and the members of the Moravian Church in Herrnhut we were working on the site, joining guided tours of neighbouring cities, giving public presentations, and sharing a tea party and a barbecue. Even during ordinary working days, we were always visited by some of the townsmen, receiving gratitude for our work. Such support from the people made us feel how important our efforts were for them.

As part of the cultural experience, volunteers attended the Saturday evening and Sunday services at the Church. But as one pastor said, the cultural experience is just one of the steps. We learned a lot about the history of the Moravian Brotherhood, the ideas of equality of everyone before God, traditions and symbols.

The experience on the project in Herrnhut was one of the most memorable, and the image of peace and unity in the local community stayed with me.

03/10/2025

🥾👣 Our member Maaike de Jong continues her journey to Santiago de Compostela through the province of León. Her latest account describes her discoveries about the rich cultural and religious heritage of Astorga, a city with roots dating back to Roman times, long before pilgrims began to wander its streets 👇 .

📜 Astorga: Crossroads of Rome, Faith, and Pilgrimage📜

My second week on the Camino Francés has brought me to Astorga, a city where the layers of history are unusually visible. First established as the Roman camp Asturica Augusta, Astorga lay at the intersection of ancient roads that carried soldiers, traders, and eventually pilgrims. Even today, the Roman grid and remains beneath the streets remind us that pilgrimage in Spain is never only medieval but always built upon older routes of empire and exchange.

The cathedral of Santa María dominates the skyline; I could see it from far away. Construction began in the 15th century, but the building is a tapestry of styles: Gothic arches, Renaissance portals, and exuberant Baroque façades. To stand before it is to see faith translated into stone, while also witnessing how religious architecture along the Camino absorbed new influences over time.

Beside it rises Gaudí’s Palacio Episcopal, a striking neo-Gothic experiment commissioned after a fire destroyed the earlier episcopal residence. Though Gaudí abandoned the project in frustration, the palace today houses the Museo de los Caminos, a fitting reminder that the Camino’s heritage is as much about reinvention as continuity.

Astorga also belongs to the Maragatería region, long known for its itinerant muleteers who connected trade across Spain. Their memory lingers in the cocido maragato, a robust stew served in reverse order, reminding pilgrims that heritage is not only monumental but also culinary and lived.

Leaving the city in the hot afternoon sun, I felt again the familiar rhythm of the Camino: moving from grandeur and history back into the quiet simplicity of the road. This oscillation between magnificence and humility, past and present, is perhaps what gives the Camino its enduring power. In Astorga, one feels that pilgrimage is not just a journey to Santiago, but a pause at the crossroads where faith, architecture, and cultural memory converge.

24/09/2025

❗ It's the final week to enter the annual FRH Photo competition❗

📸We are calling on photographers worldwide to help showcase the beauty and uniqueness of religious heritage

📅Deadline: 31 October (Tuesday)

🔗For more information and to apply go to https://www.frh-europe.org/frh-photo-competition/