Spiritual heart of Paris awakens: Notre Dame hosts first Mass since 2019 fire

Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral, its air thick with the smell of incense, on Sunday hosted its first Mass since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcends religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience.

Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework, the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after more than five years of reconstruction. For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage’s most famous landmarks.

The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar.

The liturgy, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, clergy, dignitaries, and guests totalling around 2,500 people, was closed to the general public. Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part in the celebration, 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.

Macron, in line with France’s secular division of state and religion, did not take communion. It is a milestone in Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection — a process defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly USD 1 billion in global donations and an unyielding determination to rebuild what seemed lost.

After the Mass, faithful attendees, priests, nuns, and other guests lingered in the cathedral, their awe evident. Many took pictures and selfies in front of the newly consecrated altar, the baptistery, and Notre Dame’s vibrant rose windows, their joy mingling with reverence. Others knelt to pray at chapels dedicated to saints, savouring a spiritual intimacy many had not experienced since the fire.

“Being back here after all this time is overwhelming,” said one attendee, who described the Mass as both a personal and collective occasion. Others praised the profound religious significance of Sunday’s liturgy, which followed the official reopening ceremony on Saturday. Some attendees had been invited by their diocese or religious organisations, while others woke before dawn for a chance to enter the

cathedral.