France's Notre Dame holds first Christmas mass since reopening after devastating fire in 2019

People attend the traditional Christmas mass in the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris on 24 December 2024, for the first time since the fire in 2019. (Image credit: AFP)

Paris's Notre Dame organised its first Christmas midnight mass after a catastrophic fire five years ago. The beloved Paris monument, first constructed in 1163, nearly burned down in 2019 but has been renovated inside and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied reconstruction effort since then. It was reopened this month.

"Joy in heaven, peace on earth, Merry Christmas to all of you who are here in this cathedral to celebrate the feast of Christmas," Bishop Ulrich said to the devotees on Christmas Eve. He also paid tribute to the "talents deployed on the restoration site" which allowed "the pain of the fire and the five years of separation to be erased to leave only the joy of reunion, the joy of living together again in this common house, the house of God," local media reported.

Beautiful to see the Christmas Midnight Mass at @notredameparis! Thank you @Paris @EmmanuelMacron and everyone who contributed to the incredibly fast renovation! pic.twitter.com/Tt757rbUUt
clem (@ClementDelangue) December 25, 2024

Marie-Christine Bascourret, a retiree dressed all in red, was able to attend the 4 pm mass on Tuesday. She told AFP that she found it "magnificent". She decided to go at 2 pm and waited in line for an hour: "It gave me heart," she said.

"It's a special tradition. I came to mass here every year for ten years before the fire," explained Daniel James, a 46-year-old American who lives in Seattle. "I'm so happy to come back, it's so magical and special, it's a feeling of hope, of joy."

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris hosted its first Christmas mass on Tuesday since it was reopened, five and a half years after a catastrophic fire nearly destroyed the historic landmark, decimating its spire and roof.During the service, the priest, the Rev. Henry de Villefranche, pic.twitter.com/Y0QXZeyiDN Voice of America (@VOANews) December 25, 2024

"Since 8 am this morning (Tuesday), the line has been continuous", said Valentin Lacroix, who was in charge of controlling entry. By 3 pm a hundred people were waiting on the forecourt: families, couples, from Paris, the provinces and even from abroad.

According to The Local, the diocese of Paris stipulates that no reservations are possible for Christmas masses with access to the cathedral "subject to availability".

The Notre-Dame website therefore advises arriving 30 minutes before the time of the celebrations, "keeping in mind that the queues can be long, with a risk of not being able to access the cathedral".

(With inputs from AFP)