Church bells across the U.S. to ring for Notre Dame’s reopening
PARIS - Church bells will ring out in unison across the U.S. Saturday to celebrate Notre Dame’s reopening five years after a devastating fire.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said it has invited Catholic churches nationwide to join in a "gesture of unity."
"Please join us in celebrating the reopening of this iconic cathedral that holds a special place in the hearts of all believers and people of goodwill worldwide," the USCCB said on X.
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History of Notre Dame
The famous cathedral in the heart of Paris took 182 years to build between the 12th and 14th centuries. It stands as a jewel of Gothic architecture, the heart of France, and a tourist mecca – immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
In France, Notre Dame’s importance goes beyond its architecture and history — it’s literally the point from which all roads in the country begin.
On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out on the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral while it was undergoing renovations. Once the fire was extinguished, the cathedral’s spire collapsed and most of the wooden roof and upper walls were severely damaged.
Locals and tourists watched aghast from the streets as flames and smoke shot from the monument, home to relics, stained-glass and other incalculable worlds of art, while images online shocked many around the world.
Investigators suspected the fire was caused by a cigarette or electrical issue, but no definitive cause was found.
When will church bells ring in the US?
Rector of Notre-Dame Cathedral Olivier Ribadeau Dumas blesses one the eight bells of the north belfry of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral called "Marcel", central Paris on September 12, 2024. Churches across the US will ring their bells Saturday to cele
Churches have been asked to ring their bells at 2 p.m. Eastern time in the U.S. Saturday to coincide with the cathedral’s reopening.
Notre Dame reopening celebration
Notre Dame’s reopening will be an elaborate, multi-day celebration, beginning on Saturday.
On Saturday afternoon, Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, according to the cathedral's website.
The archbishop will also symbolically reawaken Notre Dame’s thunderous grand organ. The fire that melted the cathedral’s lead roofing coated the huge instrument in toxic dust. Its 8,000 pipes have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and retuned.
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French President Emmanuel Macron will attend and address the VIP guests, which include President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Jill Biden.
After the service, opera singers Pretty Yende, from South Africa, and Julie Fuchs, from France; Chinese pianist Lang Lang; Paris-born cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Benin-born singer Angelique Kidjo; Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and others will perform at a concert Saturday evening, according to the show’s broadcaster, France Télévisions.
On Sunday morning, the Paris archbishop will lead an inaugural Mass and consecration of the new altar.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will attend the celebration, along with priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese. The Mass will be followed by a "fraternal buffet" for the needy.
Ile de la Cité, where the cathedral sits in the middle of the River Seine, will be blocked off to tourists for the events. A public viewing area with room for 40,000 spectators will be set up along the Seine’s southern bank.