Alyssa Murphy is the Register’s Managing Editor of Digital Assets. Known for her work on-air with EWTN’s Morning Glory, Alyssa has over 20 years of experience writing news in all facets of media She’s passionate about volunteering serving on the board of the Fund for Alexandria’s Child and coaching soccer to at-risk youth in Washington, D.C. She and her husband Andrew are expecting their first child in the Fall.
As the Cathedrale Notre-Dame erupted in flames on Holy Monday, 400 firefighters fought to protect her, risking their lives to save all they could. The hoses were not strong enough, the ladders too short. Fighting valiantly for hours, fire officials in Paris say that the structure may be saved, but the roof and spire, known to so many around the globe, have fallen. On a day marked by such dark tragedy, a look at the hope, history, and heroes of this grand church that will forever live in the hearts of so many.
1. As the fire erupted early evening on Holy Monday, Catholic Parisians and tourists gathered on the Left Bank singing hymns, chanting, and praying for the beloved church to be saved.
2. Construction of Notre Dame, built on the ruins of earlier churches, began in 1163, when Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. It took about 200 years to build and wasn't completed until 1345.
3. The spire that fell was made of oak, covered with lead, and weighed 750 tons.
4. Because of recent renovations, just last week, bronze statues from the 12th and 13th century were removed from the spire.
5. Father Fournier, Chaplain of the Paris Firefighters, told reporters he went into the burning cathedral to save the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns.
6. The cathedral has seen the coronations of Henry VI of England in 1431 and of Napoleon in 1804.
7. The famous South Rose Window, offered by King St. Louis, created in 1260, has survived the blaze. The Archbishop of Paris has confirmed all three have been saved.
8. The Cathedral counts among its treasures two other relics connected to Holy Week: a fragment of the Wood of the Cross, believed to be a part of the “true cross” on which Jesus was crucified; and one of the nails that the Romans used to crucify Jesus.
9. In 1804, Napoleon invited Pope Pius VII to come to Paris to crown him emperor inside the cathedral. At the very last minute, however, Napoleon seized the crown from the pope’s hands and crowned himself.
10. Fire officials now say Paris firefighters, using water cannons to fight the blaze, have now saved the structure and two main towers from the flames.
This Holy Week, please say a prayer for the city of Paris and all those around the world mourning the loss of this beloved church.