PARIS – A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, known as the “Virgin of Paris”, has returned Notre Dame Cathedral Friday night, five years after he survived the devastation fire 2019 which included the landmark.

The nearly 20-foot-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 earned the nickname “Stabat Mater” – the Standing Virgin – as a sign of resilience in the midst of destruction.

The return of the statue began with a torchlight procession from the courtyard 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 she is joining the House of Christ,” Ulrich said, bowing. himself in front of the statue and blessing. it’s 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 in 1855 near the cathedral’s southeast pillar under the guidance of architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, according to a cathedral press release .

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

The ceremony is part of the period leading up to the grand reopening of the cathedral, scheduled for December 8.

Last Thursday, the cathedral received the delivery 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, will join the two smaller bells, Chiara and Carlos, above the altar.

“We will be together again in a few days to open the door of Christ,” Ulrich said during the ceremony.