May 28, 2019
Dear Notre-Dame,
How are you feeling these days? We, the Local Guides, have all been worried about you. On April 15th, I was helping out at my church when I got a text from one of my friends that you, my favorite church in the world, were engulfed in flames. But you’re not just church. You’re not just a tourist site or dot on a map. You’re certainly not just another Gothic building in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.
Honestly, you, Notre-Dame have always felt like a living, breathing person to me and to so many Local Guides. I’ve yet to meet someone who has been unmoved by your gentle grace and the gigantic impression you leave on me and my fellow travelers. You’d love to meet all the Local Guides from around the world who marvel at humanity’s beauty and take care to share it with others.
You are captivating.
As you know, the French translation of Notre-Dame de Paris is “Our Lady of Paris” and like many women your age, I know you are a lady filled with memories and personal history that you’re eager to share with the world. I’m always eager to learn more about you.
You are welcoming.
Perhaps most notably, you are the trusted guardian of 850 years of world history under your roof. You welcome 14 million visitors of all faiths annually to experience your precious artifacts, spiritual wonders and fine architecture. You host musical events throughout the year that leverage the acoustics of your welcoming walls and I can’t wait to attend one someday.
You are strong.
Your walls were predominantly built from the original 1200s oak wood, which made you susceptible to the horrible fire that raged within you. Historians believe that the wooden beams used to construct this part of the cathedral were taken from local trees in the 800s…the EIGHT HUNDREDS! Gosh, that’s a long time ago.
You are resilient.
Horrific events have happened on your doorstep for centuries. Since your completion in 1120, you’ve seen and survived quite a few atrocities. The Black Death in the 1300s, The French Wars of Religion between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants in the late 1500s, destruction during the French Revolution in the 1780s, German bombardment during World War I, Nazi occupation from 1940-1944 during World War II and multiple near bombings in the 2000s. And you have no doubt witnessed many other horrible chapters in human history. It’s impossible not to marvel at your resilient and forgiving nature.
You are light.
You, Notre-Dame, are a bit like a lighthouse that projects the goodness of humanity back into the world despite the darkness that permeates it. You’ve stood in the face of pure evil, but still chosen to shine your light back at us. I always say to my husband as we walk away from a visit with you “I love knowing that Notre-Dame has been here almost a thousand years and will continue to be here for another thousand.” There’s something comforting knowing that no matter what changes, you remain at the center of Paris’s heartbeat.
You are confident.
You, Notre-Dame, have always seemed less like a building and more like a confident woman to me, an unstoppable female force disguised as a cathedral. Aside from the obvious outer strength of your stone walls, there’s a very tangible, holy spirit here and you can feel it the second you walk through the door. Especially at night. Your bell towers are always illuminated with expert outdoor lighting that you can see from the very top of the Montmartre neighborhood. I’ll never forget an evening last year when I was in the courtyard alone around Midnight and I could hear the soft hum of a choir practicing a concerto for their performance the following evening. You felt totally otherworldly.
You are priceless.
You, Notre-Dame de Paris, have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1991, which means that you’re deemed priceless to humanity. The labeling means to serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet and a reminder to all of us to take care of you. We are here to protect you for future generations.
Like many travelers, my favorite feature of yours are the opulent rose windows filled with hand-painted stained glass. There’s also more to these windows than meets the eye. If you look deeper, your windows were initially installed to mimic a picture book, so that illiterate parishioners could learn from the vibrantly illustrated stories. The figures on the brightly colored glass helped tell the stories in a way that words could not. Some of the rose windows were destroyed in the 1830s during the French Revolution, but your caretakers at the cathedral have worked hard to fundraise and restore you to your original glory. On my most recent visit to Notre-Dame in February 2019, I took photos of as many of your rose windows as I could because I’m in love with the rich and wild colors.
You are unforgettable.
My first experience with you happened in 1999 on a family vacation in Paris. We had all recently seen Disney’s popular 1996 film, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame so we were totally pumped to really be there and my brother Michael and I played the PC game, The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Topsy Turvy Games religiously after school. We’d mimic the gargoyles’ witty retorts, all while virtually exploring the cathedral through this computer game that felt pretty cutting-edge at the time. It was some of my first exposure to art history and architecture, which I studied in high school and then in college at the University of Maryland College Park.
You are timeless.
Since that childhood visit, I’ve returned to Paris four times and had the chance to visit your doorstep with friends, by myself and with my husband. My favorite thing to do is to walk slowly down your side naves and explore the art and relics within each individual chapel. Each chapel is completely different and expresses varying styles, which is what I love most.
You are peaceful.
When I’m feeling the need for quiet within such a busy environment among the exciting bustling of visitors, parishioners and travelers, I’ll simply kneel down on one of the pews and enjoy meeting up with God in this holy and historic place.
Even though your iconic spire fell and the fire claimed your iconic roof, I am grateful for the 400+ firefighters who risked their lives to bring you back to life. You will rise from the ashes, my friend. No matter what happens I’m confident that you, Our Lady of Paris, aren’t going anywhere.
Love,
Ashley Sundquist
It’s such a special place and I’m happy you liked reading the post.