Assyrian church’s expansion in Europe continues unabated
The growth of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Europe shows no sign of slowing down as a number of new churches are established in several countries.
The Syriac Orthodox Church, one of five Assyrian churches, has been growing steadily across the diaspora as increasing numbers of Assyrians have sought refuge and security in Europe in recent decades, and as their diaspora born children and grandchildren are driving the growth of the communities.
Rapid expansion in Germany
The Syriac Orthodox Church is expanding quickly in Germany, reflecting the rise of the Assyrian community there, now estimated to exceed a quarter-million across all denominations.
In Memmingen, a town in Bavaria near the Swiss border, the community is preparing to build a new church and cultural center, a project estimated at €3.5 million, beginning in 2026.
Further north, in Dietzenbach near Frankfurt am Main, a new church was consecrated earlier this year. The building, once a German Catholic church left unused for years, was purchased and transferred to the Syriac Orthodox community. A local Muslim group had sought to buy and convert it into a mosque; originally offered to them for €1.9 million, it was later purchased by the Syriac Orthodox Church for roughly €800,000 and consecrated as the Church of the Virgin Mary.
The Assyria Post
Germany’s expansion continues, with several other communities opening or planning new churches, including in Rodgau, Heidelberg, Ahlen (Mor Gewargis), and Leipzig (Mor Severios).
A similar development in Sweden
A similar development is unfolding in Sweden, home to an Assyrian population estimated at around 200,000 or more. Here too, new parishes continue to be established after more than fifty years of Assyrian presence.
On August 16, 2025, the Church of the Virgin Mary in Eskilstuna was officially consecrated, a project made possible through the efforts of local parishioners. The new church, whose foundation stone was laid in 2018, is the first Syriac Orthodox parish in the city and will serve roughly six hundred faithful.
In Jönköping, a town halfway between Stockholm and Gothenburg, the Assyrian community is also seeking to build a new church and is currently in discussions with local authorities.
The Syriac Orthodox Church is also building with an eye to the long term. In a small Swedish town about an hours drive south of Stockholm, an old building is being gradually renovated into what will become the country’s first Syriac Orthodox monastery. Purchased five years ago, the property is intended to become a key part of the Church’s growing infrastructure, a monastery and spiritual retreat aimed at helping young Assyrians in Sweden and the wider diaspora reconnect with the faith of their forefathers.
The Assyria Post
“We need to fill the spiritual void by giving the young an opportunity to grow spiritually: to come together, pray together, and read the Church Fathers. This is very important for us, as well as to talk about their faith and how one grows in it,” Patriarch Aphrem Karim II said in an interview with a leading Swedish magazine during his visit earlier this year.
