Newly restored Notre Dame cathedral held its first mass on Sunday, December 8, with Christians celebrating the return of the French capital’s most famous place of worship after a grand re-opening ceremony. The beloved Paris monument nearly burned down in 2019, but has been fully renovated and fitted with a new roof and spire during a frenzied five-year reconstruction.

The inaugural mass was led by Paris archbishop Laurent Ulrich with 150 bishops and more than 100 priests from the capital in attendance, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron. The archbishop led prayers and consecrated a new altar which replaced the old one that was destroyed five years ago. “Whether you are here in person in the cathedral or in front of a screen, including perhaps under the rain, I greet you with intense emotion,” Ulrich told the congregation, referring to the small rain-drenched crowds outside watching events on public screens. In a nod to France’s ongoing political turmoil, he added that he “prayed also for our country that is looking to the future with worry.”

A second mass in the evening will be open to the public, with roughly 2,500 people who secured free tickets this week expected to attend.

The cathedral will open fully to visitors on December 16 via an online reservation system.

Notre Dame holds first mass after five-year restoration