Historic Dutch former Catholic church destroyed by fire on New Year’s Day

By Daniel Payne

Jan 2, 2026 /
12:10 pm

A Jan. 1 fire destroyed a historic Dutch former Catholic church building in Amsterdam, reducing the famed 150-year-old building mostly to ash in a matter of hours.

Firefighters reportedly responded to a fire at the Vondelkerk, or Vondel Church, around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, with the blaze ultimately consuming nearly all of the building and mostly leaving burned walls behind.

The historic church was built in 1880 by Pierre Cuypers, a famed Dutch architect known for designing dozens of churches in the Netherlands. Formerly of the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, the building was sold in 1979 and deconsecrated, a formal act by the Church to remove the sacred character of the church so it is no longer considered a dedicated sacred space for divine worship. After a century of use as a sacred space, the building was eventually renovated for use as an event venue.

The property owner Stadsherstel Amsterdam (“Urban Restoration Amsterdam”) said in a statement that the fire caused the church’s tower to fall into the nave. Photos show the building completely gutted as of Jan. 2.

“The loss of this beautiful church touches us all,” the restoration group said. “Our thoughts go out to the local residents, the regular tenants of the church who have lost their workplace, and to the people who had booked the Vondelkerk for their wedding, company party, concert, or other special moments.”

“We are doing everything we can to see what we can do for them in the coming days,” the group said. The organization added it was launching a crowdfunding campaign to help restore the building.

It was not immediately clear what started the fire. No deaths or injuries were reported.

The news comes shortly after a deadly fire in Switzerland killed dozens at a ski resort in Crans-Montana.

Pope Leo XIV expressed mourning over the Swiss fire in a telegram to Sion Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey, offering prayers “to the Lord to welcome the deceased into his dwelling of peace and light, and to support the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies.”

Daniel Payne is a senior editor at Catholic News Agency. He previously worked at the College Fix and Just the News. He lives in Virginia with his family.

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