Notre Dame Cathedral Celebrates First Mass Since Fire

Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral experienced a devastating fire in April.

Two months later, priests, canons and construction workers in Paris celebrated the first Mass in the cathedral since the fire.

Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Virgin behind the choir, with only 30 people present (for security reasons). Everyone also wore a hard hat as a safety precaution.

The Daily Mail reported that worshippers could not attend the Mass, but watched the live feed online.

Here’s some photos below:

“The annual Dedication Mass commemorated the cathedral’s consecration as a place of worship,” AP News reported.

“This cathedral is a place of worship, it is its very own and unique purpose,” Archbishop Aupetit said.

Another French priest said that the Cathedral’s Mass was “a true happiness, full of hope.”

“We will rebuild this cathedral. It will take time of course — a lot of money, lot of time, lot of work — but we will succeed,” Father Pierre Vivares said. “Today it’s a small but a true victory against the disaster we have had.”

According to Radio-Canada Information, Archbishop Aupetit said that “Notre-Dame was above all a place of faith, whereas the fire that ravaged the building on April 15 had raised a wave of emotion far beyond the only community of believers.

‘It’s a reminder that this cathedral is still alive and celebrating what it was built for.'”