Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens five years after fire

The Notre Dame Cathedral held a Sunday Mass this week for the first time in 5 years, NBC News reported on Sunday.

Following a fire in April 2019 that destroyed much of the 860-year-old structure, the Paris cathedral had undergone a major reconstruction.

On Saturday, the Notre Dame held an invite-only grand opening, with thousands of people lining the streets. 

The event included members of the royal family and international political figures, such as first lady Jill Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and Britain’s Prince William, NBC News reported.

The Sunday Mass, which presented the cathedral’s new altar, drew in hundreds of people to the service, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich.

NBC News stated that 170 bishops from France and around the world participated in the Mass, along with over a hundred priests.

French fashion designer Jean-Charles Castelbajac designed the robes worn by religious figures during the mass, depicting bright colors that are in tune with the weekend celebrations.

“I wanted something very pure,” Castelbajac said in reference to his designs, NBC News quoted.

Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris Center, said he felt the reopening had been a success, both for churchgoers and for the secular public.

“I think everyone agrees between the nonreligious powers and the religious powers that the cathedral is sort of indistinctively open to everyone,” he said, according to NBC News.