Dear Friends,
“The shock of re-opening will be as strong as the shock of the fire. It will be a shock of hope.”
These words were spoken by President Emmanuel Macron to 1,300 workers and artisans standing in the nave of the great cathedral. He went on to say, “You have transformed ashes into hope.” Tomorrow, the great doors of Notre Dame Cathedral will open wide to welcome one and all to take in the newly restored building.
On April 15, 2019, we watched flames rise from the roof. We witnessed the collapse of the 96-metre spire, while fire crews did their best to contain the blaze. Volunteers rushed inside to try and save valuable art and treasures of faith. By the next morning, we caught our first glimpse of the devastation. Grief poured into Paris from all over the world.
Over the next five years, the restoration of the old building moved at a pace. One thousand two hundred oak trees were selected, cut down and hand-hewn using tools that would have been used in the Middle Ages. Each truss of beam and node was slowly placed atop the walls, forming the roof structure. Inside, the walls, windows, floors and furnishings were reconstructed. The Crown of Thorns that was saved from the flames has been put back. The statue of Mary, which was created in the 14th century and stood resolute among the fallen beams and ashes, glows again in its place.
The timing of re-opening the doors during the season of Advent seems appropriate, for this is the season of anticipation, of wanting, of yearning for a deeper experience of God’s presence in our lives. It is estimated that over 15 million people will wend their way through the hallowed space over the coming year. Some will be tourists, some will be curious, some will be enthusiastic about the restoration, some will be unhappy about the changes, and many will come for quiet, for prayer, for a glimpse of the Holy One. And when they come, they will be reminded that the reconstruction isn’t complete. While the scaffolding has been removed inside, it remains on the outside. There is extensive work yet to be done. Kind of like us, restoration is always at work in us.
The shock of the fire at St. Anne’s church in Toronto on June 9 continues to send waves of grief through the congregation and the diocese. So many of us can name where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news that fire had gutted the precious building. Over the last six months, the community has been gathering, worshipping, grieving and imagining how God is calling them and us into the future in a new way, in a new home. This is slow and holy work. Please continue to pray for Fr. Don Beyers and the community of St. Anne’s as they look to the future.
In combing through the ashes comes a shock of hope in the form of three murals, badly damaged by the fire. Each of the pieces of art is now in the hands of restorers who will strive to bring them back to life. One of the murals is called “The Tempest” by J.E.H. MacDonald. How fitting it is. Our faith is so often hewn by the hand of God in the tempests and storms in our lives. Just when we thought that everything was coming apart comes glimmers of hope. As the old prophet Isaiah would say, Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
