Five years after a devastating fire nearly destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic Paris landmark celebrated its first Christmas Day Mass on Monday, following its extensive restoration.
Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the Mass, reflecting on the cathedral’s remarkable restoration and the global effort to bring it back to life.
“Look at this cathedral that deserved such care over five years to be restored and returned to its original beauty,” Ulrich told the congregation. “Look at the architecture, the light, the beauty of the stones. The paintings, the sculptures, the tapestries, and especially the singing, the music, the liturgy, and your prayers. Our prayers. All of which give thanks to the Lord.”
On Christmas Eve, Notre Dame hosted four Masses, with Ulrich leading the Midnight Mass. Public attendance for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services was open without reservations.
The cathedral had reopened to the public on Dec. 7, when Ulrich symbolically opened the cathedral’s grand wooden doors with three loud knocks, marking the end of its restoration.
The reopening ceremony attracted over 2,500 guests, including international dignitaries such as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, First Lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The event celebrated the completion of repairs to the cathedral, widely regarded as a pinnacle of French architectural heritage.
Following the April 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion in donations flowed in from around the world, underscoring the cathedral’s global significance and the collective effort to restore it.