Notre Dame Cathedral celebrated the feast of the Assumption with a solemn outdoor procession through the streets of Île de la Cité, drawing approximately 3,400 faithful
Newsroom (19/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) For the first time since its grand reopening in December 2024, Notre Dame Cathedral celebrated the feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15, 2025, with a solemn outdoor procession through the streets of Île de la Cité, drawing approximately 3,400 faithful to honor the Virgin Mary. The event marked the revival of a tradition paused for five years due to the cathedral’s restoration following the devastating 2019 fire.
The Assumption procession, a cherished French tradition, traces its roots to the 1638 “vow of Louis XIII,” through which the king consecrated France to the Virgin Mary. This historic pledge, read solemnly by Father Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector of Notre Dame, during the Aug. 14 evening procession inside the cathedral, invited the French to pray for the nation on this feast day. The vow is tied to Louis XIII and Queen Anne of Austria’s prayers for a child, answered with the birth of Louis XIV in 1638. The high altar at Notre Dame, promised by Louis XIII, was constructed 50 years later under his son’s reign, adorned with a white marble Pietà and statues of both kings honoring Mary.
Historically, the Assumption feast featured a river procession along the Seine until 2016, when it was replaced by a walking procession through the cathedral district. This year’s events began on Aug. 14 with a candlelit procession inside Notre Dame, including veneration of the crown of thorns, followed by the outdoor procession on Aug. 15, led by Auxiliary Bishop Emmanuel Tois of Paris. A solemn Mass followed, attended by locals and tourists alike.
A highlight of the 2025 procession was the return of a silver statue of Our Lady, a treasure of Notre Dame’s history. Commissioned by King Louis XVIII in 1819 and crafted by goldsmith Charles Nicolas Odiot in 1826, the statue depicts the Virgin holding the Infant Jesus. Despite surviving turbulent times—including being thrown from a window during the 1831 sacking of the archbishop’s palace and nearly being melted down in 1847—the statue was restored in 1856 and adorned with a crown and necklace by Boucheron in 1929. It has been a centerpiece of Notre Dame’s Assumption processions until the 2019 fire.
“Today, nothing in France resembles the era of Louis XIII,” Bishop Tois said. “But the church continues to ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary for our country, where very diverse people now live. We pray for unity among all its inhabitants.” He noted a resurgence of popular piety in France, with growing attendance at such religious events. “Twenty years ago, these processions didn’t generate as much enthusiasm, except at iconic sites like Notre Dame,” he said. “Now, more people are drawn to these expressions of faith.”
The procession also served as a bridge to those hesitant to enter churches. “Many are willing to join a procession outside to pray in their own way, even if they don’t want to get more involved,” Bishop Tois explained. He highlighted Notre Dame’s unique role as a unifying space, recalling the unquestioned presence of President Emmanuel Macron at the cathedral’s reopening on Dec. 8, 2024, despite France’s strict secular policies.
The feast of the Assumption in 2025 was particularly significant, coinciding with an unexpected rise in catechumens from diverse backgrounds across France. “This influx astonishes us,” Bishop Tois said. “It is up to us to listen to what God is telling us through this phenomenon.”
Managing Notre Dame’s dual role as a place of worship and a global tourist destination—surpassing 7 million visitors since its reopening—remains a challenge. “The flow is continuous,” Bishop Tois noted. “Some Christians find it hard to pray during Mass with so many people, but we must welcome everyone, including non-believers, that their visit may be an opportunity to encounter God.”
The French bishops marked the occasion with a special prayer for France, continuing Louis XIII’s tradition. They urged the faithful to pray for senators reviewing a controversial “aid in dying” bill, already passed by deputies, emphasizing the need to respect and support life in a nation facing demographic decline. “Let us pray that future parents are encouraged for the good and future of all society,” the prayer read.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCAN News
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