Virgin Mary statue, a symbol of resilience, returns to Notre Dame Cathedral 5 years after fire

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PARIS (AP) — A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, known as “The Virgin of Paris,” returned to Notre Dame cathedral Friday evening, five years after surviving the devastating 2019 fire that engulfed the landmark.

The nearly six-foot-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 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,” Ulrich said, bowing before the statue and blessing it with incense.

The statue, originally from the Saint-Aignan Chapel on the Île de la Cité, dates to the mid-14th century. 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 Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, according to a news release from the cathedral.

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

The ceremony is part of the lead-up to the cathedral’s grand reopening, scheduled for Dec. 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. The Olympic bell, a gift from the Paris 2024 organizing 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,” Ulrich said during the ceremony.