The statue of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of resilience, returns to Notre Dame five years after the fire

PARIS – A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and the Child, known as “The Virgin of Paris”, returned to Notre Dame Cathedral Friday evening, five years after surviving the devastating disaster 2019 fire which engulfed the monument.

The nearly two-meter-tall stone sculpture, a symbol of hope and faith for Catholics in Paris and beyond, was moved after the fire on April 15, 2019.

Miraculously intact, it was nicknamed ‘Stabat Mater’ – the standing Virgin – as a sign of resilience amid the devastation.

The statue’s return began with a torchlight procession from the forecourt of the Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois church. Hundreds of worshipers and residents accompanied the statue along the Seine River to the cathedral square, where Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris led a blessing ceremony.

“Tonight, as we accompany the Virgin Mary to her cathedral, before she takes her place at the pillar where so many generations have come to pray, we know that she joins the house of Christ,” Ulrich said, bowing before the statue and blessing. it with incense.

The statue, originally from the Saint-Aignan Chapel on the Île de la Cité, dates from the mid-14th century. Moved to Notre Dame Cathedral in 1818, it was moved several times before finding a permanent home against the cathedral’s southeast pillar in 1855, under the direction of architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, according to a cathedral press release.

A vigil followed, concluding a nine-day prayer cycle that began on November 7.

The ceremony is part of the run-up to the grand reopening of the cathedral. scheduled for December 8.

The cathedral was completed last Thursday three new bellsincluding one used at the Stade de France during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Olympic bella gift from the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, joins two smaller bells, Chiara and Carlos, above the altar.

“In a few days we will be together again to open the door for Christ,” Ulrich said during the ceremony.