The year after my

The year after my husband died, I visited Notre Dame for the first time, attending morning prayers and Vespers. The luminosity from the stained glass, the incense wafting up to the light, the sacred music and chants, and the community of faithful gave me solace and a sense of well-being. I felt the spirit of my mom and my aunt, who had been in the French Resistance in WWII. The past, present, and future merge in this holy place. I spent a perfect day visiting Giverny in the morning, Notre Dame at noon mass, and saw the Tours de France arrive in front of me on the Pont Neuf. I've been to Notre Dame several times since then for celebrations such as Palm Sunday last year and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary procession and have felt a profound sense of the divine each time. This is a spiritual home for me. Nothing can take away the essence of Notre Dame. Barbara Ball Lester California, USA Been many times over the years...a favourite "thing" my family enjoyed, was to visit the Notre Dame, then walk to the little park behind the cathedral and sit there while having our baguette-lunch. We wept while watching the news of the fire. We have no words...but we stand with you, Paris, and we will rejoice with you when the restoration complete. Linda Meillon, Gauteng, South Africa A photo from June 2017 whilst visiting from South me, it captures the serenity, grace and etherealnes We have visited this magnificent place on every visit to Paris, have been enthralled to listen to a mass sung in “plain chant” also to the glorious organ being played so beautifully that we had goose bumps! First ever visit in 1957 with my parents and I couldn’t stop talking about the ROSE WINDOW.....so many wonderful memories. Helen Steyn, Australia. As a Francophile I’m feeling for the sacred 856yrd old Notre Dame cathedral and France, but she will become a stronger phoenix and rise again from these current ashes. Janelle Bray, Queensland In all her glory. Notre Dame. Duog Crawford, USA

We go here every time we visit The City of Light...climbed to the top with the gargoyles, sat in the back garden and wandered the aisles and stood in awe of the various side chapels and their amazing paintings. Gillian Hoekstra Such a sad day for Paris but thank God for les pompiers. My family is devastated and so grateful we were able to visit Notre Dame before this tragedy. Love and prayers to the people of Paris from Australia. Sue Hand I love this church. I just stare at it each time I visit Paris. It is very sad that Our Lady suffered this damage...Thanks for sharing and many thanks to the firefighters who saved most of the church Looking forward to restoring this beautiful and historic church. Sandra Ifeoma Orimilikwe Africa. It has always been a favorite because for s of her so perfectly. Monique Steuyn Olwage My husband and I visited in 2015 and again this Fall. You can see pictures before visiting but they still will not prepare you for the grandeur or magnitude of this cathedral. I remember running my hands down one of the many massive columns in disbelief. How could something like this have been built 800 years ago without the technology that we have today. Grace Marshall, British Columbia. I first laid eyes upon Our Lady of Paris on a visit 34 years ago, as a college exchange student from California. Notre Dame de Paris was stunning but her doors were locked that day. When I returned in 2016, when she finally revealed the secrets of her interior to me. As light streamed through the stunning stained glass—including the famous rose windows—I was awed by the beautiful treasures inside: a piece of the cross on which Jesus is believed to be crucified as well as the crown he wore on his head, stone sculptures, two incredible organs, and paintings commissioned in the 17th century. Don’t wait to see the magic in our world. Chris Kelsey Roman