Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens with Mass and Festivities Dec. 8
The Notre Dame Cathedral, the icon of Paris, reopens on December 8 after it was engulfed by flames in 2019, with masses, ceremonial events and other festivities.
The ceremonial opening will broadcast internationally, followed by a number of masses, concerts and other events. It is an occasion that has been anticipated for over five years, after the fire that destroyed a part of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The monumental cathedral is now ready to hold mass and welcome visitors.
On Fiday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Notre Dame to inspect the works for the grand opening. (Watch video below)
Specifically, the first Mass is scheduled for December 8, 2024, with the consecration of the altar. Attendance will be by reservation and will be broadcast on France TV, according to an official announcement by the official Tourist Office website.
From December 8 to 15, an octave promising a solemn celebration every day, with some highlights, the website also informs.
The parvis de Notre-Dame, the archeological crypt of the parvis de Notre-Dame and the Pont au Double – a footbridge for pedestrians allowing easy access from the parvis de Notre-Dame to the Left Bank and vice versa are accessible to the public.
A giant restoration project
The massive restoration project is not completed yet. However, it has progressed successfully enough for Notre Dame to reopen and hold masses and other ceremonies.
What has been restored to its original glory so far, is the cathedral’s arrow surmounted by its cross, a new cock has been placed at the top of the spire, its chevet cross is in place and so is the angel at the Trumpet, and the eight north belfry bells have been put in place.
The restoration of the emblematic historic monument was overseen by chief architect for historic monuments, Philippe Villeneuve.
About 1,000 people worked on Notre Dame’s restoration in Paris and throughout France. The huge project required rebuilding the cathedral with similar materials and techniques to those used when the rest of Notre Dame was built in the 12th century.
A great number of skilled artisans worked on the restoration including carpenters, quarry workers, mortar makers, and master stonecutters.
The apse and sacristy have not been restored yet and works will be finished sometime in 2025. In 2026 new stained glass windows will be installed. The existing windows, which date to the 19th century, will be moved to a museum, and the new windows will be designed by a contemporary French artist.
The April 2019 fire
A big part of the emblematic French cathedral was engulfed by flames after a fire broke out under the eves of the roof on the evening of April 15, 2019. The fire burned the spire and most of the roof and was extinguished in the morning of April 16.
Firefighters managed to contain the blaze, saving the main structure including the bell towers and rose windows. There were no injuries and the Catholic relics housed in the cathedral and priceless works of art were rescued and removed to safety.
To this day, investigators have not been able to clarify the cause of the accident.
German architect Barbara Schock-Werner, former master builder at the famous Cologne Cathedral and responsible for its conservation and restoration work, commented that the destruction could have been worse because not all vaults collapsed.
The renowned architect spoke to Deutsche Welle saying that, “Although the crossing tower collapsed next to the Gothic Virgin Mary statue, nothing happened to it. That’s the miracle of Notre Dame.”
The French government and citizens and the international community responded immediately. Organizations and individuals sent donations totaling in the hundreds of millions over the duration of the reconstruction.
Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris raised €10 million ($10.6 million) in 2019 from more than 10,500 donors in the US and in more than 50 countries outside France.
Right after the tragic event, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the restoration of the church a national project, and promised it would happen within five years. French donors alone pledged €850 million ($940 million).
A symbol of Europe
The most famous Gothic cathedral of the Middle Ages is distinguished for its grandeur and architectural interest. The foundation stone was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163 upon earlier churches including a Gallo-Roman one. The high altar was consecrated in 1189. The choir, the western facade, and the nave were completed by 1250, and porches, chapels, and other embellishments were added over the next 100 years.
Rising majestically above the historic center of Paris, through the years it became a symbol of the Catholic Church and, more importantly, for the whole of Europe as it has borne witness to countless historical events, wars, and revolutions.
French novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) immortalized the magnificent church in his 1831 novel, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Austrian composer Franz Schmidt (1874-1939) wrote the romantic opera “Notre Dame” based on Hugo’s novel, and the book has been adapted for film several times since.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), like the English King Henry VI (1421-1471) before him, was crowned regent of all France in the Gothic church.
The symbolic cathedral is home to numerous significant religious and historical artifacts, such as the Crown of Thorns, believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion.
Today, Notre Dame remains one of the most important symbols of French cultural identity.
#Notre #Dame #Cathedral #Reopens #Mass #Festivities #Dec