PARIS (OSV News) — For the first time since its reopening in December 2024, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris marked the feast of the Assumption with a solemn outdoor procession.
On Aug. 15, as many as 3,400 faithful filled the streets of the Île de la Cité, honoring the Virgin Mary in a tradition interrupted for five years by the cathedral’s post-fire restoration.
Until 2016, a popular river procession, with boats, took place on the Seine River on Aug. 15. In 2017, it was replaced by a walking procession in the cathedral district.
Vigil procession inside cathedral
In the Jubilee Year, tourist visits inside the cathedral were suspended at midday on Aug. 14. At the beginning of the evening, the rector of the cathedral, Father Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, presided over a procession inside the cathedral, with the faithful carrying candles.
It included a veneration of the crown of thorns and an exit onto the cathedral square. There the rector solemnly read the text known as the “vow of Louis XIII,” by which the king of France officially consecrated the country to the Virgin Mary in 1638.
This historic text is the origin of the numerous processions in honor of Mary that take place in France during the vigil or on Aug. 15, which is a very popular French holiday. On Feb. 10, 1638, King Louis XIII signed this legislative text, previously submitted to the Parliament. He invited the French people to pray for France, especially on the feast of the Assumption and to participate in solemn processions in all parishes.
Prayer of King Louis XIII and Queen Anne
This vow was later associated with the prayer of Louis XIII and his wife, Queen Anne of Austria, for the birth of a child, which they had been hoping for more than 20 years. The future “Roi Soleil,” Louis XIV, was born on Sept. 5, 1638.
Louis XIII had also promised to erect a new high altar at Notre Dame. It was built 50 years later, during the reign of his son. The large white marble Pietà that stands there today was added in the 18th century, with a statue of Louis XIII offering his royal crown to Mary, and another of Louis XIV.
Auxiliary Bishop Emmanuel Tois of Paris led the outdoor procession through the streets of Île de la Cité on Aug. 15, watched by tourists, before celebrating a solemn Mass inside the cathedral.
“Today, nothing in France resembles the era of Louis XIII,” Bishop Tois told OSV News. “But the church continues to ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary for our country, where very diverse people now live. We pray for the intentions of each and every one of you, and for unity among all its inhabitants.”
Assumption processions at Notre Dame
For Bishop Tois, the Assumption processions at Notre Dame have always been very popular, even at a time when such events, visible in the streets, were less common in France.
“Twenty years ago, these kinds of processions did not generate as much enthusiasm, except in a few iconic locations such as Notre Dame, where the river procession was always very popular,” he told OSV News. “In contrast, in recent years, we have seen a resurgence of popular piety in France. More and more people are attending this kind of religious event.”
For the Aug. 14-15 processions, a hidden jewel was taken out of the Treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral.
A silver statue of Our Lady, processed for decades on the feast of the Assumption, was initiated by the Archbishop of Paris in 1819. The project for this statue was envisaged by King Louis XVIII, who reigned from 1815 to 1824. It was eventually realized after his death, in 1826, during the reign of his brother and successor, Charles X.
Virgin is holding in Infant Jesus
The statue was made by goldsmith Charles Nicolas Odiot. The Virgin is holding an Infant Jesus, in accordance with Louis XVIII’s initial wishes.
The silver statue has been harshly treated by history. During the sacking of the archbishop’s palace in 1831 — marking the years of opposition to the monarchy, with which the church was associated — the statue was thrown out of the window.
Later on, it narrowly escaped being melted down in 1847. It was finally restored in 1856 for the baptism of Emperor Napoleon III’s son. In 1929, the jeweler Boucheron created a crown and necklace to adorn the statue during the Assumption procession. Since then, and until the cathedral’s fire in 2019, it has been carried during Notre Dame’s processions.
Procession ‘a way to reach’ large numbers
“Such a procession is a way to reach a large number of people for whom it is difficult, if not impossible, to attend Mass or even enter a church,” Bishop Tois explained. “Many are willing to join a procession outside the church to pray in their own way, even if they do not want to get more involved.”
“This cathedral is truly a place that brings people together,” Bishop Tois emphasized in a conversation with OSV News. “It struck me, during the celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame on December 8, that no one questioned the presence of the president of the republic in the front row, even though French politicians are concerned about maintaining strict religious neutrality” to the point, he said, that “some had protested against Emmanuel Macron’s presence during Pope Francis’ visit in Marseille, in 2023.”
“The feast of the Assumption is particularly joyful for us this year,” Bishop Tois noted. “The influx of catechumens, who come from extremely diverse backgrounds, is astonishing in France at the moment. We did not anticipate this at all. It is up to us, priests and laypeople, to listen to what God wants to tell us through this phenomenon that surprises us all.”
Millions of visitors to Paris cathedral
In this context, coordinating liturgical life and welcoming visitors to Notre Dame is a major challenge for the cathedral where the 7 million visitor mark since the reopening was surpassed in early August.
“The flow is continuous,” Bishop Tois confirmed. “Some Christians find it difficult to pray during Mass because there are so many people. But we must welcome everyone who enters, whatever their state of mind. We specially pray for those who are not believers, that this visit may be an opportunity for them to encounter God.”
On the occasion of the feast of the Assumption, the bishops of France published the text of a special prayer for France, continuing the tradition started by Louis XIII. They specifically invited the faithful to pray for the senators, who will be examining a bill on “aid in dying” in the coming months, which has already been approved by French deputies.
“Let us pray that in our country, now in demographic decline, the life to come will be welcomed and respected and that future parents will be supported and encouraged for the good and future of all society,” the text said.
Caroline de Sury writes for OSV News from Paris.
