NOTRE-DAME – Last step before the reopening. Five years after surviving the cathedral fire Notre-Dame of Paristhe famous statue of the Virgin and Child (known as “ Virgin of the Pillar “) found Friday November 15 “his house”, at the end of a procession which saw hundreds of faithful accompany him through the streets of the capital, as you can see in the video at the top of the article.
The Virgin of “Our Lady finds her home. She precedes us, as she precedes us in our walk”said the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich to the crowd gathered in the square in front of the Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church, where the statue – found intact after the fire of April 15, 2019 – had since found refuge.
At nightfall, hundreds of people of all ages, candles in hand, set out in a procession, surrounding the immaculate white statue, placed on a stretcher decorated with flowers and carried by the knights of the order of the Holy Sepulchre. By singing the prayers Hail Mary And Our Fatherbelievers took the quays of the Île de la Cité behind a replica of the statue, to the square in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral where the real statue had been installed.
“ An event not to be missed »
In an atmosphere mixing joy and contemplation, and in the presence of numerous media, the bells then began to ring, a first during a religious event since the fire. “The virgin stands, although she is filled with pain. (…) We remain joyful about everything that has happened around this cathedral over the past five years”underlined Monsignor Ulrich who had previously read the Gospel according to Saint Luke.
“Today is an event not to be missed. Notre-Dame is a page of history. That it didn’t burn shows that miracles exist.”enthuses Tiphaine Latrouite, 25 years old. “There is something special about this statue. We have the impression that she listens, that she could answer all the questions, that she is caring”continues the young woman, accompanied by her grandmother for the occasion.
This procession marks the “last big event” before the reopening of the cathedral on December 7 and 8, the diocese announced.
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