After five years of restoration work, Notre-Dame de Paris reopened its doors during moving ceremonies on December 7 and 8, 2024. These significant moments reaffirmed the spiritual and cultural importance of the cathedral, a universal symbol of faith and resilience.
Saturday, December 7: Resilience
On Saturday evening, the inaugural service, presided over by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, brought together an emotional assembly, including the President of the Republic, heads of state, and numerous faithful.
The highlight of the ceremony was the rite of opening the doors, where the archbishop’s crozier struck one of the central portal’s doors several times. This solemn act deeply moved attendees as, for the first time in five years, the Maîtrise choir’s songs resonated beneath the cathedral’s vaults, marking the rebirth of this sacred space.
What joy when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem!
Jerusalem, built as a city united together!
— Psalm 121
The service continued with:
- The awakening of the great organ, blessed by the archbishop in a dialogue with the instrument;
- Liturgical singing, including hymns, psalms, the Magnificat, universal prayer intentions, and the Lord’s Prayer;
- The final blessing and the powerful Te Deum, expressing gratitude and hope.
This celebration, filled with solemnity and emotion, reaffirmed Notre-Dame as a universal symbol of resilience and unity.
Sunday, December 8: Hope
The first mass held after Notre-Dame’s restoration, celebrated on Sunday morning, was a moment of deep spirituality and unity.
The climax of the ceremony was the consecration of the high altar. During this solemn rite, the relics of five saints, pivotal figures in the history of the Church in Paris, were deposited and sealed within the altar. These relics included those of three women — Saint Marie Eugénie Milleret, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, and Saint Catherine Labouré — and two men — Saint Charles de Foucauld and Blessed Vladimir Ghika.
The dedication prayer, followed by the anointing with sacred oil, the offering of incense, and the lighting of the altar, consecrated it as the vibrant heart of the restored cathedral.
By welcoming 170 bishops from around the world and thousands of faithful, Notre-Dame reaffirmed its role as a universal symbol. This celebration conveyed a powerful message of hope.
The evening mass gathered many Parisian faithful in an atmosphere of profound prayer and reflection. Attendees, arriving in large numbers, shared collective joy and renewed their sincere attachment to their cathedral, finally reopened.
The aftermovie of the reopening
These ceremonies extended beyond the borders of Paris and France, reminding the world that Notre-Dame is a universal heritage site, bearing a millennial history and a shared future.
