Guestbook: Your memories of Notre Dame Cathedral

In August 2018, I had the privilege of seeing this masterpiece firsthand with my daughter by my side. Notre Dame was a sight of wonder and will always be special to me as a Catholic. I support the people of Paris and pray that one day the Church will be able to stand tall again.

Thank you for these wonderful facts about this beautiful masterpiece. They are especially important now, following the fire. Loved just sitting near the church watching people come and go

What does it mean to me, a holy place a masterpiece of gothic Architecture that was built to honor our blessed Virgin Mary . A place for all Christians to worship.

We live right down the street of Notre Dame on the Island and saw this devastating event take place! We walk by it every day!
Our hearts may be heavy but our minds are resolut to make good from something sad! I took this photo exactly one week prior to the fire! We have 10 more months of a total of 23 months here in Paris!

One grey July morning in 2013, I was staying in an apartment opposite Notre Dame. I had awoken earlier than usual that morning and stood at the window and stared at the beautiful Cathedral and the deserted square in front. Without thinking, I dressed quickly and left the apartment, and my sleeping husband, and crossed the bridge. I stood and looked up at the Cathedral and then I saw a man by the side door and walked over to him. Struggling with my pitiful French, I asked him if it would be possible to go inside, although I knew the Cathedral was closed to the public at that hour (7:10am). He opened his arms wide, smiled and told me I was very welcome!

I stepped inside that hushed, stunning Cathedral, devoid of people, and stood transfixed. The beauty, the peace, the magnificence of that hallowed building just overwhelmed me. I tiptoed around, afraid to make any noise (I don’t know why) and craned my neck upwards to admire the windows, the ceiling, the columns; somehow I felt this huge stone building was embracing my very soul. I sat on a chair beside one of the stone columns, unaware of how the time was passing and suddenly realized I was not alone any more; other people were walking quietly into the Cathedral to attend Mass. I did not move. The Priest, who must have been there all the time unbeknownst to me, began the Mass and I closed my eyes and listened to the muffled voices chanting the responses . Finally, I arose and crept out as silently as I could. Outside, blinking in the unaccustomed daylight, I saw that a line of tourists had formed.

My precious moment of solitude was over and I walked slowly and thoughtfully back to the apartment my heart soaring .

I will never forget the morning when I was alone inside that beautiful Cathedral and was overcome by peace, awe, and … sheer happiness.

I am a French teacher here in the U.S. and many years ago I brought a group of students to France. One of those students just messaged me to tell me how grateful she was to have seen Notre Dame back then, because of the fire. I hope they can rebuild it and am grateful that it did not completely burn to the ground.

With no roof and no spire, Notre Dame is now an earthly object, tied down to the ground. And the flying buttresses no longer serve as the knots that keep the celestial ship from floating back to heaven.
The destructions caused by the fire make us see what makes Notre Dame so super-natural.
Let a roof and a spire and the effect-creating disciples return quickly please.

I think it is sad that it caught on fire. Many people say that it is just a building. However, it is a place where people worship. It is also history made over 850 years ago. I am glad it did not burn down.

Nothing will dampen the beauty and grandeur of this grand dame . The Notre Dame will be restored to its former glory. The project will need the time, the skill and the patience of experts globally to ensure the work is executed to the standard the Notre Dame deserves.

We spent months planning a trip to Europe, including a week in Paris. This is such a long way from our home in New Zealand. We had booked a skip-the-line tour of Notre Dame, and were devastated when we saw the fire on tv, only about a week before our holiday started. If we can visit Paris again, Notre Dame will be the first place we visit!

I never truly appreciated this place until I turned on the television one day and saw it burning. I’ve never been to Paris, and it’s likely I never will, but I will always remember it. Even if they rebuild it, it won’t be the same. Always in our hearts.

On my first visit to Paris, I went to ND on my first full day and walked to the top of the North tower where I took this photo. For the rest of my stay in Paris, I was limping due to straining a hip muscle on the walk up. It was worth it. Magical.