Virgin Mary statue returns to Notre Dame Cathedral five years after fire

The statue’s return began with a torchlit procession from the forecourt of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois Church.

Paris archbishop Laurent Ulrich, centre, conducts a blessing ceremony next to the original Virgin Mary statue, right, which did not suffer from the 2019 fire, before its return in the Notre Dame Cathedral — Paris archbishop Laurent Ulrich, centre, conducts a blessing ceremony next to the original Virgin Mary statue, right, which did not suffer from the 2019 fire, before its return to Notre Dame Cathedral (Louise Delmotte/AP)

A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, known as The Virgin of Paris, has returned to Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after surviving the devastating 2019 fire that engulfed the landmark.

The nearly 6ft-tall stone sculpture, a symbol of hope and faith for Catholics in Paris and beyond, was relocated after the blaze on April 15 2019.

Miraculously intact, it earned the nickname Stabat Mater – the Standing Virgin – as a sign of resilience amid the destruction.

The original Virgin Mary statue, which did not suffer from the 2019 fire, is displayed before returning in the Notre-Dame cathedral outside the cathedral in Paris — The original Virgin Mary statue, which did not suffer from the 2019 fire, is displayed before returning to Notre Dame Cathedral (Louise Delmotte/AP)

The statue’s return began with a torchlit procession from the forecourt of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois Church.

Hundreds of faithful and residents accompanied the statue along the Seine river to the cathedral’s 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,” Archbishop Ulrich said, bowing before the statue and blessing it with incense.

The statue, originally from the Saint-Aignan Chapel on the Ile de la Cite, dates to the mid-14th century.

A replica of the Virgin Mary statue is carried from Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church to Notre-Dame cathedral during a procession in Paris (Christophe Ena/AP)

Moved to Notre Dame Cathedral in 1818, it was relocated several times before finding a permanent home in 1855 against the southeast pillar of the cathedral, under the guidance of architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, according to a news release from the cathedral.

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

The ceremony is part of the lead-up to the cathedral’s grand reopening, scheduled for December 8.

Last Thursday, the cathedral took delivery of three new bells, including one used in the Stade de France during the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

People watch Notre-Dame cathedral after a procession to bring the Virgin Mary statue from Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church to the cathedral in Paris — People watch Notre Dame Cathedral after a procession to bring the Virgin Mary statue from Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois church to the cathedral in Paris (Louise Delmotte/AP)

The Olympic bell, a gift from the Paris 2024 organising committee, will join two smaller bells, Chiara and Carlos, above the altar.

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