Heavy hearts as Notre-Dame misses Christmas mass for first time since 1803

Even the Nazi occupation of France did not stop holiday services at iconic cathedral, which was ravaged by a fire in April

By Agencies 25 December 2019, 4:21 pm

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The steeple and spire of the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral collapses as the cathedral is engulfed in flames in central Paris on April 15, 2019. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was unable to hold Christmas Eve Mass for the first time in more than 200 years after a fire ravaged its structure in April.

With heavy hearts, French Catholics instead gathered at the nearby church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a few hundred meters away, for a service celebrated by the cathedral’s rector Patrick Chauvet.

“It isn’t the same feeling but it’s still a Christmas Mass,” said 16-year-old Juliette, who had made the 700-kilometer trip from Aix with her family. “There will be a thought for Notre-Dame tonight, that’s for sure.”

“We have been crying since April 15, and today even more,” said Danielle, a Parisian, who attended last year’s mass at the Paris landmark. However, she was lifted by the choir of Notre-Dame, who performed at the mass.

Notre-Dame cathedral rector Patrick Chauvet attends the Christmas Mass, in Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church, in Paris, Tuesday, December 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Meanwhile, workers continue to repair and rebuild the cherished cathedral.

Notre-Dame, part of a UNESCO world heritage site on the banks of the River Seine, lost its gothic spire, roof and many precious artifacts in the fire, which was watched by huge crowds. It was one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, drawing some 13 million people each year.

The building had remained open for Christmas through two centuries of often tumultuous history — including the Nazi occupation in World War II — being forced to close only during the anti-Catholic revolutionary period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (1803).

President Emmanuel Macron has set a timetable of five years to completely repair the eight-centuries-old structure, which remains shrouded in scaffolding with a vast crane looming over it.

Tourists take selfies in front of Notre -cathedral in Paris, Tuesday, December 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

The culture ministry said in October that nearly one billion euros ($1.1 billion) had been pledged or raised for the reconstruction.

Paris prosecutors suspect criminal negligence and opened an investigation in June, suggesting a stray cigarette butt or an electrical fault could be the culprit.

The fire that gutted the Notre-Dame Cathedral burned for 23 minutes before being discovered by staff, a senior French official was quoted as saying shortly after the blaze.