Notre Dame Returns: Inside the Historic Reopening After Fire \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Notre Dame Cathedral reopens this weekend with a series of ceremonies celebrating its recovery from the devastating 2019 fire. Highlights include the reopening of its great doors, the reawakening of its historic organ, and the celebration of its first Mass. The events signify resilience for France and the Catholic Church, attracting global attention and diverse attendees.
Notre Dame’s Reopening: Quick Looks
- Weekend Ceremonies: Includes door-opening rites, organ reawakening, and a first Mass celebration.
- Weather Adjustments: Stormy forecasts moved Saturday’s outdoor events indoors.
- Archbishop’s Role: Laurent Ulrich will lead 1,500 guests in reopening and consecration services.
- Great Organ Returns: Organists will improvise during the reawakened instrument’s inaugural performance.
- Global Affection: Donations poured in from 340,000 individuals across 150 countries, raising $846 million.
- Restoration Marvels: Restored interiors boast luminous stone, pristine paintings, and vibrant stained glass.
Deep Look
A Symbolic Rebirth for Notre Dame
The reopening events, meticulously planned and televised, reflect both national pride and the Catholic Church’s global influence. French President Emmanuel Macron invited dignitaries, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and numerous world leaders, to join the ceremonies. Tickets for the first week of Masses sold out in just 25 minutes, highlighting the faithful’s eagerness to return to the cathedral.
A Weekend of Ceremonies
The reopening kicks off Saturday evening with Archbishop Laurent Ulrich leading over 1,500 attendees through a solemn service. The great doors of the cathedral will be reopened with ritualistic flair as Ulrich taps them three times using a specially crafted crosier, designed by Sylvain Dubuisson. The wood used for the crosier bears charred marks from the original roof destroyed in the fire.
The Resurgence of the Great Organ
A focal point of the reopening is the revival of Notre Dame’s thunderous great organ, silent since the blaze left its 7,952 pipes coated in toxic dust. After years of dismantling, cleaning, and reassembly, the instrument has been meticulously retuned. Its return will be marked by a unique exchange between the archbishop and the organists.
Archbishop Ulrich will deliver eight ceremonial incantations, addressing the instrument directly with phrases such as, “Awaken, organ, sacred instrument: Sing the praise of God.” Each invocation will receive an improvised musical response from one of four esteemed organists, including Olivier Latry and Vincent Dubois.
Restoration Triumphs Inside and Out
While exterior work continues, the interiors of Notre Dame now gleam with a radiance unseen for generations. Decades of grime have been removed from the limestone walls, revealing their creamy brilliance. Collapsed vaulted ceilings have been restored, while the light streaming through cleaned stained glass windows accentuates the cathedral’s intricate beauty.
New elements include a custom-designed altar replacing the one crushed during the fire and garments for clergy created by a designer who has also dressed global stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna. According to the cathedral’s rector, Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, no one alive has seen Notre Dame look as magnificent as it does now.
A Global Effort to Restore Notre Dame
“It’s something which belongs to everybody,” said Michel Picaud, head of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, a nonprofit that raised $57 million primarily from American donors.
The reopening ceremonies reflect the universal reverence for Notre Dame, uniting billionaires and disadvantaged Parisians alike. Hundreds of the city’s poorest residents, supported by charitable organizations, will join the celebration alongside the world’s elite.
The Cathedral’s Role in Heritage and Hope
Notre Dame Returns Notre Dame Returns