As the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris prepares to reopen on December 7, the US bishops are calling on local churches to show their solidarity with the Church’s “eldest daughter.”
Five years ago, a devastating fire broke out in the wooden roof and 96-meter-high oak tower of the beloved 12th-century French cathedral. Restoration of the structure began with a two-year cleanup process, followed by a $760 million reconstruction project.
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In a social media post, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wrote that as the cathedral reopens, “local churches across the United States are invited to ring their bells.” in a gesture of unity.”
“This gesture of uniting our local Churches with the Paris Cathedral would be one more sign of our union with the eldest daughter of the Church, whose ancestors contributed so much to the United States’ fight for independence,” he stated in the publication. the president of the USCCB, Bishop Timothy Broglio.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC is also encouraging local churches to accept the bishops’ invitation and will ring its bells at 2 p.m. ET on December 7, according to the USCCB.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception invites local churches to peal their bells at 2:00 PM ET on Dec. 7 pic.twitter.com/6sy2XtcGZx
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) November 29, 2024
Notre Dame will open its doors to the public on December 7, beginning with a triduum that will include the official inauguration of the cathedral by the French state, which owns and maintains most of the country’s cathedrals as historic sites.
The altar of Notre Dame will be consecrated on December 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, during the first Mass in the now restored cathedral.
Images and videos of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Notre Dame on Friday are circulating on social media and in various media outlets, giving the world its first look inside the cathedral since the April 2019 fire.
Last month, the bells at Notre Dame Cathedral rang for the first time since the fire five years ago.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Low tide Elhabbal
Madalaine Elhabbal is a CNA journalist based in EWTN’s Washington DC bureau. She has published articles on CatholicVote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.