Notre Dame hosts first Mass as spiritual heart of Paris is revived
8 December 2024, 19:14
It comes five years after the catastrophic fire.
Notre Dame Cathedral has hosted its first Mass since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of the resilience of Paris.
Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately-carved stonework, the cathedral emerged reborn to the faithful, its grandeur restored after more than five years of reconstruction.
For Catholics, it marked the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signalled the rebirth of one of world heritage’s most famous landmarks.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the Mass, including consecrating a new bronze altar.
The liturgy was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, clergy, dignitaries and guests, but was closed to the general public.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part part, along with one priest from each of the parishes in the Paris diocese and one priest from each of the seven Eastern-rite Catholic churches, accompanied by worshippers from these communities.
It was a milestone in Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection – a process defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly £800,000,000 in global donations and an unyielding determination to rebuild what seemed lost.
Public viewing areas along the Seine drew thousands more who wished to witness the historic moment from afar.
Nathalie Martino, a retired event organiser visiting Paris to see family, recalled the anguish of watching the cathedral burn.
“I cried so much that day,” she said. “And now, here I am. I had to come. It was something I needed to do.”
Later on Sunday, the cathedral opened its doors to members of the public who secured reservations last week for the first fully public Mass.
Tickets for this service were claimed within 25 minutes, underscoring Notre Dame’s enduring appeal.
Sunday’s Masses follow Saturday evening’s ceremonial reopening in which Archbishop Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire. As the doors swung open, choirs filled the cathedral with song and the cathedral’s great organ – silent since the fire – resounded with majestic melodies.
Inside, the restoration reveals a cathedral transformed with now-gleaming limestone walls cleaned of centuries of grime. The restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of colour across the nave.
“No-one alive has seen the cathedral like this,” said the Rev Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre Dame’s rector. “It is more than restored – it is reborn.”
