$750
OUR LADY OF PARIS
The iconic medieval Catholic cathedral, Notre-Dame-de-Paris is situated on the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine River. The limestone cathedral was constructed over the span 200 years and is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture with pioneering architectural feats such as the use of the rib vault and flying buttress. Just outside the cathedral lies “Paris Point Zero,” a small geographic marker indicating the center of Paris, from which the distance to all other places are judged. Indeed, Notre-Dame-de-Paris serves as a centerpiece for French culture. Through desecration during the French Revolution to the serious fire of 2019, the cathedral is regarded with reverence as the beating heart of French Catholicism. The French government has stated that the cathedral’s restoration will be complete in time for the opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Mass is scheduled to be held in the cathedral nave on April 15, 2024.