The statue remained undamaged after the 2019 fire.
The medieval statue of the Virgin Mary with a baby Jesus, the so-called The Virgin of Paris was returned on Friday evening to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was devastated by a devastating fire five years ago, reports TASR according to the AP agency.
The approximately two-meter-high stone statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus miraculously remained undamaged after the fire on April 15, 2019, earning it the nickname “Stabat Mater” – the standing Mother – as a sign that it resisted destruction.
After the procession through the streets of Paris, they surrounded the statue with flowers
The statue was carried through the streets of Paris along the river Seine from the church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois in the neighborhood of the Louvre, where it took refuge after the fire. Hundreds of people holding candles took part in the procession. In the courtyard of the cathedral, the statue surrounded by flowers was blessed by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich.
The statue originally came from the Saint-Aignan chapel on the Île de la Cité in central Paris and dates back to the mid-14th century. It was moved to the Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame in 1818. It was moved there several times to different places, until finally in 1855 it was permanently placed opposite the southeast pillar of the cathedral.
The statue transfer ceremony is part of preparations for the grand opening of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral to the public, which is scheduled for December 8, AP writes.
