Worshippers To Wear Hard Hats At Notre Dame’s First Mass Since Blaze

Notre Dame is set to hold its first Mass since a devastating fire ripped through the French cathedral and sent its spire crashing down in April.

The Paris diocese has announced that the intimate service will take place on Saturday evening. For “security reasons,” it will be limited to about 30 people, media included, and will take place in a side chapel, Agence France-Presse reported.

Attendees are required to wear hard hats inside the 850-year-old structure, which is still in repair, according to ABC News. 

Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit will lead the service, which will also celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of its altar. The event is commemorated each year on June 16.

The April 15 blaze began in the cathedral’s attic during the start of Holy Week and was “potentially linked” to renovations, firefighters said, according to HuffPost France. Though the flames destroyed roughly two-thirds of the roof, city officials confirmed that the main structure had been “saved and preserved.”

The next morning, Paris firefighters announced that it took nearly 400 of them more than nine hours to put out the fire. Three first responders were slightly injured, but no one died.

The first images of the building appeared to show sculptor Nicolas Coustou’s 300-year-old Pieta still intact before rows of charred pews. However, burning embers could be seen through gaping holes in the ceiling, which had been eaten through by the flames.

French President Emmanuel Macron immediately assured the public the cathedral would be rebuilt as messages of solidarity arrived from leaders around the world.

According to Time magazine, French businesses and billionaires vowed to contribute more than $955 million for repairs to the roof. As of Friday, less than 10% had been paid, French media reported.

The service will be streamed online here.