Beauty and Christ
Notre-Dame and the Faith That Built It
Notre-Dame de Paris, Our Lady of Paris, is a Gothic cathedral on the Ile de la Cite whose construction began in 1163 and continued for roughly a century. It survived the French Revolution and, on 15 April 2019, a devastating fire that destroyed its spire and roof. After a remarkable restoration, it reopened in December 2024. For over eight hundred years it has stood as a house of Christian worship.
The true story
Building began around 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, and the main structure was largely finished by about 1260, with additions and repairs continuing for centuries. Its flying buttresses, rose windows, and twin western towers made it one of the defining works of Gothic architecture. Generations of masons, glaziers, and carpenters worked on a building most of them would never see completed.
The cathedral endured desecration during the French Revolution and a long decline, then was restored in the nineteenth century, partly thanks to the novel by Victor Hugo that renewed public love for it. On 15 April 2019 fire tore through the roof and toppled the spire. The world watched. Craftspeople then rebuilt it using traditional methods, and it reopened for worship on 7 December 2024.
What it points to
It is worth asking what could move people, across nine centuries, to give their lives to raising and rebuilding one building. The answer is the faith it was built to hold. Notre-Dame was raised to the glory of God, a place for ordinary people to come and behold his beauty and worship. That the world grieved so deeply when it burned, and rejoiced when it rose again, is a sign that the beauty still speaks.
The stones will not last for ever; even the greatest cathedral can burn. But the One it was built to honour remains, and he is nearer than the building ever was.
Come and see
Beauty is a door, never a trick. The cathedrals, the hymns, and the long roads of pilgrimage were all made by people who had first found something, or Someone, worth the labour of a lifetime. If the beauty draws you, follow it to its source. The living Christ it points toward is not an argument to win but a Person to meet, and he still draws near to everyone who comes to him with an open heart. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin.
Meet JesusRead the Gospel of JohnThe Church around the worldJesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- When was Notre-Dame de Paris built?
- Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began around 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, and the main structure was largely completed by about 1260, with additions and repairs continuing for centuries afterward.
- What happened to Notre-Dame in 2019?
- On 15 April 2019 a major fire destroyed the cathedral's spire and much of its roof. After a careful restoration using traditional methods, Notre-Dame reopened for worship on 7 December 2024.
- Why was Notre-Dame built?
- Notre-Dame was built as a Christian cathedral, a house of worship raised to the glory of God and dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. For over eight hundred years it has been a place where people gather to worship Christ.