Notre Dame to hold first public service after five-year restoration

The newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral is set to hold its first public service on Sunday, following a historic reopening ceremony that celebrated the work of firefighters, builders, and artists who saved the 12th-century Paris landmark.

The beloved monument, which nearly burned down in a devastating 2019 fire, has been renovated inside and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied reconstruction effort since then.

During the reopening service on Saturday, attended by world leaders, including incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed the "gratitude of the French nation" for the work.

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"We have rediscovered what great nations can do — achieve the impossible," Macron said.

One of the most emotional moments came when firefighters, dressed in their protective gear, walked through the congregation to thunderous applause as the word "Merci" ("Thank you") was projected on the intricate facade and famous bell towers of the Gothic masterpiece.

The architectural wonder had been in danger of collapsing during the April 2019 blaze and was saved only by the heroic intervention of teams of firefighters pumping water from the nearby River Seine.

Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France April 15, 2019. Reuters

On Sunday morning, the first mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) in the presence of hundreds of bishops and priests from Paris and around France. Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will lead prayers and consecrate the new altar, which replaces the old one destroyed in 2019.

A second mass, open to the public, will be held at 6:30 p.m., with roughly 2,500 people who secured free tickets this week expected to attend.

The cathedral will fully reopen to visitors on Dec. 16 through an online reservation system.

Saturday’s service began with Archbishop Ulrich, dressed in brightly colored new vestments designed by fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, knocking on the doors of the cathedral three times.\

A general view shows Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Aug. 25, 2024, the day of commemoration ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Paris from Nazi rule. Reuters

Trump was seated in the front row as guest of honor next to Macron, while invitees marveled at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture, and state-of-the-art lighting installed as part of the overhaul.

Small crowds of Parisians and tourists gathered outside, braving wet weather and high winds to witness the renaissance of a monument that is a symbol of the French capital and one of its most visited landmarks.

"I find it really beautiful, even more so now that the spire has been restored," Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southwest France, told AFP outside.

The reconstruction effort cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed by donations. The five-year reopening deadline was met despite predictions it could take decades.

Part of the cathedral's lead roofing base still needs to be finished, and statues of apostles and saints, removed before the fire to allow for their restoration, will be reinstalled in the first half of 2025.

The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation, with prosecutors believing an accident, such as an electrical fault, was the most likely cause.

Notre Dame welcomed about 12 million visitors annually before the fire but expects to receive a higher number of 14 to 15 million after the reopening, according to church authorities.