PARIS (OSV News) — In what is seen by the church of Paris as a triumphant return, the famous statue of the Virgin of the Pillar will be restored to her place in Notre Dame Cathedral Nov. 15.
“She is indeed Our Lady of all humanity, Our Lady of the peoples, Our Lady of all those who seek, Our Lady of all those who weep,” Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris told a packed press conference room Nov. 13, ahead of the Dec. 7-8 celebrations of the reopening of the cathedral, which he awaits with “joy,” “impatience” and “gratitude.”
Starting at 6 p.m. Nov. 15, the archbishop will lead the procession through the streets of Paris, following the statue of the Virgin, which will be later transported inside the cathedral, after a torchlit prayer vigil on the forecourt.
“It is also a significant spiritual time for our diocese, and it is for this reason that the archbishop of Paris and the cathedral team wanted to involve the faithful of Paris — and those passing through the capital — in this event, by organizing a large Marian procession,” said Father Stéphane-Paul Bentz, Notre Dame’s chaplain.
More than 6 feet high, this 14th-century statue is Notre Dame’s most emblematic object. It was surprisingly spared by the fire on April 15, 2019, when it stood at the transept crossing under the cathedral’s spire, which the fire destroyed.
“The new ambo will be located at the foot of this statue, to show that the Virgin Mary is the first hearer of the Word of God,” the archbishop told journalists.
Since the fire, the Virgin and Child, also referred to as the Virgin of Paris or the Virgin of the Pillar, has been housed near the Louvre in the church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, from where the procession will start.
As Our Lady returns to Notre Dame, the bells of the cathedral’s north belfry will ring solemnly for the first time, following the technical tests already carried out on Nov. 8.
“In Notre Dame now, everything will lead to prayer, or to a moment of pause, which can be a moment of spiritual experience,” the cathedral’s rector-archpriest Father Olivier Ribadeau Dumas said. “The bronze liturgical furniture takes its place and blends with the brightness of the stone; the works are gradually reinstalled; the chandeliers shine, the light magnifies the whole place! One feels an impression of great simplicity and extreme delicacy.”
As not everything will be ready for the reopening, temporary tapestries have been hung in the side chapels on the northern side of the building. They will soon be replaced by seven new tapestries, designed by contemporary artists and currently being produced at the famous Aubusson Gobelins factories. Their themes will form part of the didactic itinerary designed by the chaplains of Notre Dame.
“Any visitor entering the cathedral will be able to clearly understand, during his or her visit, what the heart of the Christian faith is, from Genesis to Pentecost,” Father Henry de Villefranche, a cathedral chaplain, told OSV News.
“For us Catholics, this cathedral is a place God makes his home,” Archbishop Ulrich stressed. “It is a possible place of encounter between believers and non-believers, a place where we can all feel brothers and sisters, and also a possible place of personal encounter with God.”
Archbishop Ulrich announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will speak Dec. 7 on the cathedral’s forecourt, and not inside, as was previously announced. It was a hot subject of dispute in recent months as under France’s 1905 law separating church and state, as the cathedral is the property of the state, with the church being its assignee.
“This celebration will be unprecedented, unheard of,” Archbishop Ulrich emphasized. “That’s why the conversations with the president’s office to prepare it lasted so long.”
Macron, however, will enjoy a special advance visit to the cathedral Nov. 29 with the archbishop of Paris.
In addition to the heads of state, a large number of vulnerable and disadvantaged people will be taking part in the Dec. 7-8 reopening celebrations. After a Dec. 8 Mass, several hundreds of them will take part in a “fraternal buffet” offered by the Archdiocese of Paris.
Asked about the decision of Pope Francis not to attend Notre Dame’s reopening, Archbishop Ulrich said that “the pope told me back in 2022 that he would not be coming,” adding that Pope Francis’ “pastoral priority is towards small countries, and places of tension and difficult situations. I understand him very well.”
The ceremonies will be broadcast on large screens outside the cathedral. Some cranes and scaffolding will still be visible.
“Part of the work will continue for another three years, particularly to the east of the cathedral,” said Philippe Jost, who chairs the Rebâtir Notre Dame public institution responsible for overseeing the reconstruction.
The following days will be marked by special events. The baptistery will be blessed Dec. 10; the Mass on Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be for Latin American communities; and on the afternoon of Dec. 13, the crown of thorns — the cathedral’s most precious relic — will return to Notre Dame.
Beginning Dec. 16, the cathedral’s daily rhythms will return to normal. Tourists can visit Notre Dame even during Mass, as an opportunity to discover the Catholic worship that gives meaning to the cathedral.
The new online booking system will soon be available. There will be two separate forms for the registration: for attending Mass and for visiting the cathedral as a tourist. Mass reservations will continue for a few months to accommodate the spectacular initial interest in visiting the cathedral.
“It is now time to rediscover Notre Dame, to reopen its doors to the 14 to 15 million faithful and visitors that we expect, without any distinction, to allow them too to marvel and meditate before so much beauty,” Father Ribadeau Dumas said.
“I realize how much the opening of the cathedral is a sign of hope. … the sign of the victory of life over death, of light over darkness,” he said. “What seemed lost has found life again.”
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