Today is Thanksgiving in the US but not in France
The big news today in Paris is that the dates for the reoopening of Cathedrale de Notre Dame (which many of you will remember burned in a horrendous fire in 2019) have been set.
The magazine Inspirelle, https://inspirelle.com/notre-dame-reopening-how-to-celebrate-its-rise-from-the-ashes/ wrote today about Notre Dame and the day that we have all been waiting for. The re-Opening. The following are quotes taken from the article. I’ve put the address above if you would like to read the entire article.
“Christians and non-Christians around the world watched in horror almost five years ago when flames engulfed the rooftop of the beloved 800-year-old Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. When the spire toppled over in the early evening of April 15, 2019, crashing through the roof’s nave and sending billowing, ominous smoke into the Parisian skies, we all wondered if the cathedral would survive. Yet, here we are five years later, waiting with bated breath for Notre-Dame’s grand reopening and comeback. Rebuilt and restored. And word has it, the cathedral is more beautiful and transcendent than ever.”
“Our first look inside the restored Notre-Dame will be on November 29, 2024 when President Macron makes his seventh and last visit to the worksite inside the cathedral before it is officially handed back to the Paris Diocese in early December. The state was responsible for the full restoration of Notre-Dame after the fire, which it entrusted to the Notre-Dame Restoration Committee. Remember, the French President expressed his determination that the landmark would reopen its doors five years after it suffered serious damage to its structure.”
“December 7, 2024..(is the day). The President of the French Republic returns to Notre-Dame in the evening for the official reopening. On the square in the forefront, he will deliver a short, emotional speech before declaring the handover of the cathedral to the Archbishop of Paris. Monseigneur Laurent Ulrich will knock on the medieval doors of the cathedral three times with a crozier, his special staff. The cathedral, which had been silent, then “answers” him by singing Psalm 121 three times – resounding again with the song of praise. On the third time, the doors open. The eight bells of Notre-Dame will also ring again, beckoning everyone to come in.
On this occasion, 100 world leaders, dignitaries, religious leaders and the faithful have been invited to the official ceremony that will be broadcast live by France Television and shared with international media. Inside, vestiges and prayers will be delivered.”
“The following day on December 8, Msgr Ulrich will oversee the inaugural mass at 10:30 a.m. Paris time. The rector, Msgr Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, will be by his side. The religious procession will be filled with color and emotion. The liturgical vestments worn by the clergy have been designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a fixture on the French fashion scene. The capes recall medieval chivalric style with golden crosses surrounded by bursts of shards in primary colors, reflecting nobility and simplicity, modernity and joyful outreach. The President is expected to attend mass with over 1,200 guests representing various religious and charitable associations, workers, and donors who contributed to Notre-Dame’s restoration.
A second public mass is scheduled for the evening at 6 p.m. local time. France Television will cover the two masses live, and international media will be able to broadcast their images as well.”
“Check the Notre-Dame website for the registration link to reserve free seats for masses and private prayers as well as visits in the first week of the reopening (reservations should open around December 1, 2024). Or, look out for the new Notre-Dame mobile application to reserve dates and learn more. Five newly organized tours are available for visitors to fully appreciate and experience the full breadth of Notre Dame’s history, architecture, spirituality and restoration.”
“The Crown of Thorns will return to the cathedral’s treasury on December 13 in a grand ceremony. This religious relic, believed to be the woven crown worn by Christ on his way to crucifixion, was saved the night of the fire by those who risked their lives to enter the burning church.
On December 16, the cathedral returns to a normal schedule offering daily mass three times a day to the public.
Musical concerts with international artists are planned for the cathedral every Tuesday night for the following new year. Click here for the program and to reserve seats.”
So today, we in France give thanks that our beloved Cathedrale has survived and we will all get to visit the new and we are told even more beautiful inside in the near future.
A bientôt,
Sara
Too bad we are not celebrating Thanksgiving in France…
Will you be attending? I'm so glad to see this as a person who is almost as upset by the destruction of historic icons of culture as by the destruction of the humans who revere them. We need our collective symbols of better times now more than ever.