Notre Dame rector Patrick Chauvet, second right, stands as part of the Maundy Thursday ceremony, while cellist Marina Chiche, left, performs in Notre Dame Cathedral, Thursday, April 1, 2021, almost two years after a massive fire ravaged the Gothic cathedral.
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)PARIS – A Holy Thursday service in Paris was held at Notre Dame cathedral, which is still under construction after it was ravaged by flames just days before Easter in 2019, its spire crumbling in a shocking blaze.
The ceremony involved a foot-washing ritual that symbolizes Jesus’ willingness to serve.
Paris Bishop Michel Aupetit led the rite, accompanied by Notre-Dame’s rector Patrick Chauvet.
Attendance at the service was sharply restricted due to the cathedral’s reconstruction and the pandemic.