Miracle of reopening: Notre Dame shines after five years of darkness!

Miracle of reopening: Notre Dame shines after five years of darkness!

After more than five years of uncertainty and intensive restoration work, the famous Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral was ceremoniously reopened on December 8, 2024. On the evening of the devastating fire that shook the world on April 15, 2019, the 96 meter high crossing tower and its unique wooden roof were completely destroyed. Despite this catastrophic damage, the foundation walls and many important art treasures remained intact catholicnewsagency.com is reported.

The reopening celebrations drew numerous believers and fans to the city. A couple from Switzerland, Christina Ceppi and Michael Pfennig, traveled specifically to take part in the celebrations. Unfortunately, their online reservation failed and they ended up standing in front of the cathedral in the rain on Sunday. Nevertheless, the two were optimistic about a future visit. Many others, like Parisian Alain, who got a ticket for his wife, were also looking forward to a return to the centuries-old history and spirituality of this landmark. Customs and rising were in the air when Archbishop Laurent Ulrich inaugurated a new bronze altar and visitors from outside followed the solemn moment, according to a report by krone.at is called.

Waiting to open to the public

All places for the first services in this first week until December 15th are already fully booked, and pre-registration for visits is done via an online reservation system. Normally, those interested can come to the cathedral without a reservation, although long queues are expected as up to 40,000 visitors per year are predicted. Emily from Canada, a big fan of the cathedral, highlighted that it has more than a thousand Notre Dame-inspired objects and even offers private tours. This illustrates the immense importance that the building has for people worldwide. The official choice of words emphasizes expanding the capacity for visitors in the next few weeks to give everyone a chance to experience this monumental heritage.