On Saturday, Dec. 7, the eyes of the world were upon Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which reopened for the first time since the devastating fire April 15, 2019.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich struck the cathedral’s door three times, and the organ was awakened by Olivier Latry, a titular organist at the cathedral. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were among those in attendance.
In Richmond, dozens gathered at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, as bells tolled at nearby Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7 in solidarity with Notre-Dame Cathedral. There are no bells at the Richmond cathedral, but, as the cathedral’s official social media account wrote on Facebook, “We are lucky to have such great neighbors!”
After the bells rang, Daniel Sáñez, director of music and liturgy at the cathedral, played “Finale from Symphonie No. 1” by Louis Vierne on the new Opus 55 gallery organ inside the cathedral.
Vierne was a titular organist at Nore-Dame from 1900-1937. The organ, blessed Sept. 15 by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, was recently played in its first public concert by Olivier Latry on Oct. 30.