Easter vigil held in Paris

PARIS – The Notre Dame choir and officiants, now without a home church, participated in an Easter tradition at the nearby Church of Saint Sulpice in front of more than 1,000 parishioners Saturday night.

Easter vigil, which is considered the first official celebration of the resurrection of Jesus for many Christians, was observed from 9:30 p.m. to midnight Easter morning. 

"We actually came here a few times before, specifically to see the Easter vigil at Notre Dame de Paris, the cathedral," said Anna Simon, from Holland. 

"It’s not only for the French," she said. "It’s for everybody who has some history with the building. (Monday) really was a tragic night, and we’re really happy that (Notre Dame) is still there."

Anna and Sander Simon shared pictures of Easter vigil at Notre Dame in previous years, where an even larger celebration is usually held.

Easter weekend is typically one of the busiest of the year for Notre Dame, which is the most visited cathedral in the most visited country in the world. 

Tens of thousands of visitors usually pack the cathedral square, sometimes waiting for hours to get inside for one of four services per day, except Sunday, when there are five.

"It’s really a symbol of France," said Turney McGuire, from Washington. "I can see how everyone feels about this tragedy."

 

Easter Vigil in Paris: The Notre Dame choir and officiants participated in a Saturday night candlelight mass at Saint Sulpice Cathedral. Here are a couple of minutes of the hours-long service, led by the Archbishop of Paris, and attended by more than a thousand parishioners:

Posted by KPRC2 Jacob Rascon on Saturday, April 20, 2019