Notre Dame des Sept-Douleurs chapel where first Mass since the April 15 fire took place
The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris achieved a major milestone on Saturday when Archbishop Michel Aupetit celebrated the first Mass in the building exactly two months after a fire nearly destroyed it.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the Archbishop and about 30 other people, all wearing hardhats, were permitted into the chapel behind the choir, a place construction experts said was safe. On the altar of des Sept-Douleurs chapel, the Archbishop celebrated the annual Dedication Mass which commemorates the cathedral’s consecration as a place of worship.
“This cathedral is a place of worship, it is its very own and unique purpose,” Aupetit said.
Although only 30 people were permitted to attend the Mass, mostly priests, canons and church employees, the event was livestreamed.
“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 told the AP outside of the Cathedral.
Speaking to Europe 1 radio, French Culture Minister Franck Riester called the Mass “a nice symbol” and said it was limited to just a handful of participants due to continuing safety issues.
The Cathedral remains “in a fragile state,” he said, “namely the vault, which has not yet been secured. It can still collapse.”
The roof and its iconic spire were destroyed by a devastating fire on April 15 and kicked off an international fund-raising campaign to raise enough money to restore the building to its former glory.
The Daily Mail is reporting that less than 10 percent of the 850 million euros (nearly $1 billion US) pledged by billionaires, business leaders and others has been received so far, the French government said.
The investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
“Today it’s a small but a true victory against the disaster we have had,” Father Vivares said.
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