Notre-Dame Cathedral Hosts 1st Mass since April’s Blaze

Two months after fire devastated France’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Gothic landmark in Paris witnessed the first mass. A small congregation in white hard hats attended the mass on Saturday.

"Less than 10% of $953 million pledged by billionaires, business leaders and others has been received so far," the French government said.

The mass, which commemorates the cathedral's consecration as a place of worship, was held in a side-chapel left undamaged by the April 15 fire, with attendance limited to about 30 people wearing protective headgear, according to Reuters.

[caption id="attachment_57381" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Priests wearing hard hats, as the Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit leads the first mass in a side chapel two months to the day after a devastating fire engulfed the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, in Paris, France June 15, 2019. Karine Perret/Pool via REUTERS[/caption]

The event was celebrated by Paris archbishop Michel Aupetit with only about 30 people, including some of the workers who were hired to rebuild the church.

"It is with much emotion that we are here to celebrate the consecration of the cathedral," said Paris's archbishop Michel Aupetit, who led the service.

"It is a message of hope and thanks to all those who were moved by what happened to this cathedral," he added, acknowledging afterwards it was "a bit strange" to celebrate mass with a helmet.

The service was broadcast live on a religious TV channel that showed poignant images of the blue sky through the collapsed roof and the black rubble still clogging the building.

[caption id="attachment_45723" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Notre-Dame Cathedral Hosts 1st Mass since April’s Blaze[/caption]

The blaze led to the collapse of the roof and spire of the architectural masterpiece, triggering worldwide sadness.

President Emmanuel Macron has set a target of five years for restoring the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The monumental site attracts yearly about 13 million visitors. It is located on a small island called  Île de la Cité.

Pope Alexander III  started its establishment in 1163. In the 13th century, the building was completed.

In 1804, the Cathedral saw emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation.

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