PARIS — Notes sounded from the meticulously cleaned grand organ, the voices of the choir echoed off scorch-scrubbed walls, and light shone through restored stained glass windows.
Hundreds flocked to Notre Dame’s first Sunday Mass since a fire destroyed the beloved monument five years ago to mark the cathedral’s rebirth and witness the dedication of the altar.
Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich presided over the Mass, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, who helped oversee the cathedral’s official reopening on Saturday in an evening of celebration and ceremony, and first lady Brigitte Macron.
A member of the clergy kneels as the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, leads prayers for the dedication of the new high altar.
Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich anoints the new high altar as French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron look on.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world were due to participate in Sunday Mass, along with one priest from each of the 106 parishes in the Paris diocese and one from each of the seven Eastern Catholic churches. They were accompanied by believers from their community.
Members of the clergy arrive to attend mass.
The vestments worn during the morning Mass were crafted by French fashion designer Jean-Charles Castelbajac and carried his signature style, with bold primary colors to convey the joy of the daily service.
“I wanted something very pure,” Castelbajac said ahead of the weekend’s festivities.
Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich after the inauguration of the new high altar.
He added that the rector-archpriest of Notre Dame, Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, had requested that the vestments reflect “nobility and simplicity.”
“I did everything with my scissors. I didn’t sign. I cut,” he said, “to make it very pure.”
Worshipers attend Sunday Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral.
The inaugural mass came after thousands of people lined the streets surrounding Notre Dame on Saturday evening to watch the Gothic masterpiece open its doors to the public for the first time. The event featured royalty, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, including first lady Jill Biden, newly elected President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prince William.
Spectators watch the mass on a screen outside Notre Dame.
Sunday Mass marked the consecration of the cathedral’s new altar, which took place in five steps. The relics of five saints were placed in the altar and sealed.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich blesses the altar.
A sculpture of Archbishop Sibour next to stained glass windows.
The relics belonged to three women and two men who, according to the cathedral’s website, “marked the history of the Church in Paris,” including St. Marie Eugénie Milleret, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, St. Catherine Labouré, St. Charles de Foucauld and Blessed Vladimir Ghika.
A prayer of consecration was followed by the anointing with oil, marking the key moment of the consecration. The offering of incense followed shortly afterwards, before the altar was finally decorated and illuminated, as the scent of the incense filled the cathedral.
A fireman’s helmet on display in the cathedral and a sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus.
The weekend’s reopening ceremonies marked the start of a week of festivities for the awakening of Notre Dame, with many of the hundreds of people involved in the cathedral’s restoration expected to attend services held throughout the week.
Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris Center, said he thought the weekend’s festivities had been a great success. And in the aftermath of a powerful service, he said it was important to remember that while Notre Dame is a “religious place,” it is also “for seculars.”
“I think everyone agrees, both the non-religious powers and the religious powers, that the cathedral is open to everyone in some sort of unclear way,” he said. “And that’s the nature of it.”
Members of the clergy leave at the end of the opening Mass.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
