PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris celebrated its first Christmas Eve Masses since the devastating fire of 2019 ravaged the medieval landmark. Four masses were held on Tuesday, with approximately 2,000 people attending the afternoon service. Worshippers and visitors alike marveled at the restoration of the recently reopened cathedral. Some American tourists even planned their trip specifically to attend Christmas Eve services at Notre Dame.
“They did such an amazing job,” said visitor Aly Beinert. “It looks beautiful. It blew us away.” The cathedral’s grand wooden doors were symbolically reopened on December 7th by the Paris Archbishop with three resounding knocks. Guests at the reopening included President-elect Donald Trump, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.