The European Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Programme concluded with a ceremony

Twenty-one students from ten countries received their certificates on 8 March 2026 at the Mánfa Retreat Centre of the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church, marking the completion of the first comprehensive European training programme for Buddhist prison and hospital chaplains.

Graduates of this internationally developed programme will go on to offer informed and compassionate spiritual presence, grounded in the teachings of the Buddha, in some of life’s most difficult situations: the isolation of imprisonment and the threshold of death. Although the closing event was also overshadowed by global political tensions, the success of the programme signals the emergence of a new cross-border spiritual network.

This was the first course in Europe specifically designed to train Buddhist chaplains under the title European Buddhist Chaplaincy.

The programme was implemented as a joint professional initiative of the European Buddhist Union (EBU) and Dharma Gate Buddhist College. Its aim was to establish a European network and professional community capable of providing qualified spiritual support in prisons, hospitals, and hospice institutions, based on the teachings of the Dharma.

Throughout the programme, participants were able to deepen their knowledge of both the theory and practice of Buddhist spiritual care, engaging with such areas as empathetic listening, facing suffering, and interfaith dialogue. The training was conducted entirely in English, reflecting its pan-European character.

A total of 30 participants began the course, and 21 ultimately completed their studies successfully. The group formed a highly diverse community representing ten countries:

• Ireland
• Hungary
• Germany
• Poland
• Italy
• Switzerland
• the United Kingdom
• Belgium
• Israel
• Spain

The event was unfortunately overshadowed by global political developments: due to airspace closures caused by the war launched against Iran, two participants were unable to attend the ceremony in Mánfa in person.

At the formal ceremony, certificates of recognition were presented by the programme’s lead instructors, both highly respected figures in the field: Kirsten DeLeo, an expert in hospice and palliative care, and Dario Doshin Girolami, Zen teacher and head of the EBU Chaplaincy Network.

Dharma Gate Buddhist College is proud to have hosted this pioneering initiative, which marks an important milestone in the social engagement of Buddhism across Europe.