After five years of restoration, Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich knocked on the doors of Notre Dame.
Attendees, including the United Kingdom’s Prince William, First Lady Jill Biden, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and US President-elect Donal Trump, standing alongside French President Macron. Notably absent was Pope Francis, who chose to decline the invitation to the event.
Many doubted that restoring a cathedral of this size and complexity within five years was possible. Yet Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect overseeing the project, says his faith is what drove him to persevere.
“I have a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and I never stopped feeling support coming from up there,” Villeneuve shared, pointing upwards towards heaven.
In the week before its re-opening, President Emmanuel Macron inspected the work, including the new altar, the white stone, gold details, and restored bells. He was guided by Notre Dame’s rector, Fr. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas.
“It fills me with pride, but at the same time, I’m humble because I realize the immensity of what has been done,” Fr. Dumas highlighted. “And also the immensity of how it was built 860 years ago. And now that it has been rebuilt, the mission has been entrusted to me to bring it to life. I have to make sure it is a place of prayer, so that it is a place of celebration, and so that it is a place of discovery of faith.”
When the fire broke out in 2019, Cécile Thevenin was among those who gathered by the river Seine to sing and pray.
Colm Flynn asked, “What do you want this restoration of Notre Dame to symbolize not just for Christians here in Paris and in France, but throughout the world?”
“It means the renewal of the faith as there is this impression that the faith is dying,” Cécile noted, “but there is a strong minority of Catholics in Paris and there is a rare event to have a Cathedral rebuilt.”
And now she hopes, it will give a boost to the faith. “I hope it will strengthen the faith. It’s about Mary.”
Adapted by Jacob Stein
