PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame’s heart from beating again.
With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the cathedral roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze engulfed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches.
“Notre Dame is not just a French monument—it is a magnificent sign of hope,” said its rector, the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas. “What seemed impossible has become possible.” Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more—a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. Tuners restoring the great organ often worked through the night to find the silence needed to perfect its 7,952 pipes, ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide.Notre Dame’s revival is a story of global collaboration and determination.
Adding to the ceremony’s visual splendor, Archbishop Ulrich and the clergy donned vibrant liturgical garments designed by renowned French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Known for his eye-popping pop-art aesthetic, Castelbajac crafted 2,000 colorful pieces for 700 celebrants, blending modern elements with medieval touches.
For Patricia and Cyrille Brenner, who traveled overnight from Cannes, the reopening felt like a pilgrimage. “You have to be there to experience it,” Patricia said, comparing it to the Cannes Film Festival. Her husband added, “The fire was a call to renew our faith.”For Macron, the reopening offered a rare reprieve from political turmoil. Just days earlier, his government collapsed in a historic no-confidence vote, plunging France into uncertainty.
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