With the ringing of the bells, the procession of more than 100 banners, and the blessing of the altar — among many other rites — the cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris was reopened after five years of restoration work. It is now ready to receive the faithful and tourists, who will be able to enter again to pray and to marvel at its beauty.
In addition to the choir and the nave, visitors will be able to visit the 29 chapels, which are both places of prayer and a means of evangelization. Some of these chapels have been renamed, such as the one now dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas (formerly St. Anne) or the chapel of St. Vincent de Paul (formerly St. Joseph).
However, the current chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a holdover from before the fire that devastated this historic site.
75 years of presence in the Cathedral of Paris
In 1938, the Mexican episcopate asked Pope Pius XII for permission to crown Our Lady of Guadalupe in the cathedral of Paris. However, the beginning of the Second World War delayed the arrival of her image. On April 26, 1949, Our Lady of Guadalupe was finally crowned in the chapel built in her honor.
The replica sent from Mexico was exact, with the same dimensions as Juan Diego's tilma. During the 2019 fire, surprisingly, it remained undamaged.
Where is the Virgin of Guadalupe located in Notre Dame?
The chapel is located in the south nave, next to the chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa. And it will be here that her devotees, especially members of the Hispanic community in Paris, will celebrate every December 12, as they did before the devastating fire.
It’s a tradition for the faithful to gather for the celebration of the Mass and for the traditional “mañanitas” with mariachi. (The mañanitas are traditional song Mexicans sing to people on their birthday.)
The complete tour of the chapels
The French edition of Aleteia reported that the cathedral proposes a pilgrimage route through the edifice, starting from the left nave. In this way, the visitor can see that “God promises, from the beginning, the reconciliation and recovery of humanity after original sin.”
The north nave was renamed “Alley of the Promise,” and each chapel received a figure from the Old Testament. The tour begins with the chapel of Noah, which recalls the first announcement of salvation of all creation; and ends with the chapel dedicated to Elijah, which finally announces the imminent coming of the Messiah and the definitive reconciliation.
The south aisle was also renamed; it now has the name “Pentecost Alley,” and has seven chapels associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, being the cathedral of the Diocese of Paris, these chapels are now named after a large number of Parisian saints.
