The Miracle of Restoring Notre Dame

In April, 2019, the twelfth-century, Gothic-style cathedral, Notre Dame, located in Paris, France, was gutted and virtually burned to the ground. It was not known at the time if it were possible to restore or rebuild it.

 

Five years later, and many pledged donations of nearly $1 Billion to restore the structure, according to restoration chief Philippe Jost, it is getting ready to open on December 7. It will even have a $150MM surplus fund available for continued upkeep used “to carry out needed work campaigns,” including enhancing the monument’s structural integrity and preservation.

According to the New York Post, the billionaire tycoons, including the family behind the L’Oréal cosmetics chain and Kering luxury goods founder François Pinault, “fully fulfilled their financial commitments” and “honored pledges made on the night of the fire or in the hours that followed,” Jost said.

This is a great day for everyone to rejoice in the restoration of this actual piece of art, which we all thought could not be duplicated. The painstaking restoration effort included repairing the cathedral’s stained glass windows, roof and signature flying buttresses.

The Cathedral built nearly 900 years ago to honor Our Lady will continue to live on.