Month: December 2024

PITTSTON – Saint John the Evangelist Church opened its doors to the community on Dec. 15 to help people celebrate the Christmas season with music and song.

The parish held a free Christmas organ concert and sing-along just ten days before Christmas, featuring beautiful holiday music played on the church’s historic organ.

“This is a great time to just relax, take a breath, and prepare spiritually, sing some of those wonderful songs, hear some of the readings of Christmas, and take a break from the hustle of preparing and all of the things that we have to do to get ready for Christmas,” Father Joseph Elston, Pastor, said.

After a brief welcome by Father Elston, familiar songs like O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, O Little Town of Bethlehem, The First Noel, Silent Night, and Away in a Manger, rang out inside the church.

Sheryl Charbonneau, who narrated the story of ‘Silent Night,’ said the event brought back many childhood memories of songs she grew up singing.

“Thinking about all these beautiful songs, not knowing what they meant when I was little, but now knowing what the words mean, and having the congregation singing along, brings out so much more emotion, feeling, and meaning about what Christmas is all about,” Charbonneau said.

As she walked away from the event, Charbonneau felt much more in tune with the true meaning of the holiday.

“God sent us his only son here on earth as a human and taught us so much about what real love is,” she added.

The organ music was led by Michael Sowa, director of music at Saint John the Evangelist Parish.

“Singing Christmas carols is a centuries-old tradition, and we had a wonderful opportunity to have members of different faith communities come here to our church to continue this tradition, accompanied by our pipe organ,” Sowa said.

With many of the pews packed for the concert and sing-along, Sowa was pleased that so many took time out of their day to focus on the true meaning of the Christmas season.

“It is always a pleasure to play for a congregation that sings from the bottoms of their hearts. It is one of my greatest joys as an organist,” Sowa added. “Hearing everyone singing together in unison, it is a wonderful experience!”

WILKES-BARRE – The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated on Dec. 12, holds profound significance in the Catholic Church, especially within Hispanic communities, where it is marked by a deep sense of reverence, tradition, and cultural pride.

Parishes throughout the Diocese of Scranton once again celebrated this year with special Masses, vibrant processions, and joyful celebrations. The celebrations drew hundreds – and sometimes even more than a thousand – of the faithful together in a shared expression of faith.

“The day is so special because no matter where you are, or what you’re doing, we all come together for her,” Giselle Jimenez said.

Jimenez was among the standing-room only crowd of parishioners that filled Saint Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre as a special Mass was held Dec. 12 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“She has always done so many miracles for us. Whenever we are in need, we pray to her. We just grew up with this custom,” Jimenez added.

Prior to the Mass, which was celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, hundreds of people participated in a beautiful procession throughout the streets of Wilkes-Barre. As they navigated downtown streets in the cold, parishioners carried a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe on a pedestal, throwing rose petals, while singing and dancing and publicly showing love and devotion to the Blessed Mother.

“I feel a lot of joy knowing that our community is so big, and we come out to these special events,” Azucena Aguilar, a parishioner of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish, said.

The origins of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe trace back to 1531, when the Virgin Mary appeared to a humble indigenous man, Juan Diego, on the hill of Tepeyac, near present-day Mexico City. She requested that a church be built in her honor, and Juan Diego brought proof of the apparition – his tilma, or cloak, bearing the miraculous image of the Virgin – which serves as a powerful symbol of faith and identity for many Catholics.

“We were taught from our ancestors about the miraculous apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” parishioner Nereida Cruz explained. “She brought a message of unity. She is a model of faith to us Catholics, in the path of following our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In the days leading up to Dec. 12, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Scranton hosted novenas, with families gathering for prayers, hymns, and reflections in the Blessed Mother’s honor. The parish also held traditional ‘mananitas,’ a serenade at dawn, on Dec. 12, from the Cathedral of Saint Peter to Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church on Prospect Avenue.

“It is very, very special to see everyone coming together,” Shareny Hernandez, a parishioner of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish, said. “It’s really nice that the devotion keeps growing, not only in the Mexican culture, but in other cultures and places and surroundings.”

On Dec. 8, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish also held a special Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, which like the one in Wilkes-Barre, was celebrated by Bishop Bambera.

“I think it was fabulous,” parishioner Daisy Klem said.

Following the Mass, hundreds attended a large celebration with food and dancing at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

Rufino Cano, who sang in the choir at the Cathedral Mass, said the annual celebration is not merely a celebration of the past, but a living, evolving tradition that resonates deeply within the hearts of those who honor Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“It is very important to show our culture, our food, and our dances. It’s very important to show how the Hispanic community celebrates our Catholicism,” Cano stated.

SCRANTON – On Dec. 10, Peoples Security Bank and Trust made a $25,000 donation to support Holy Cross High School in Dunmore through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) in Pennsylvania.

Pictured above are, from left: Nancy Jeffers, Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer at Peoples Security Bank & Trust; and Kristen Donohue, Diocesan Secretary of Catholic Education/Superintendent.

To learn more about how businesses and individuals can participate in the EITC Program, contact the Diocesan Development Office at (570) 207-2250.

MANSFIELD – As the end of the year approaches, a new ministry group in north central Pennsylvania has a lot to celebrate.

On Dec. 12, as the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Marian Ministries group was consecrated to Our Lady of Guadalupe’s patronage during a special Mass at Holy Child Church in Mansfield.

Over the last two years, Marian Ministries has been blossoming in Tioga, Lycoming and Bradford counties, uniting parishioners across multiple parishes with a shared mission: helping people grow closer to Jesus Christ through a deeper devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“We’re all hungry to share our faith with other people,” Marian Ministries member B.J. Butler said.

Marian Ministries sponsors retreats, brunches, book studies and other events, offering a space for reflection and dedication to Our Lady. Many members of Marian Ministries also participate in First Saturday devotions, which have become a profound moment of spiritual renewal, each month at Saint Mary Church in Blossburg.

Both women and men are invited to participate.

“It’s just beautiful to see how the people of these (area) parishes, which were once very separate, have come together and we’ve become friends. It has taken a long time,” Marian Ministries member Linda Sampson explained.

Contributions to the Catholic Ministries Appeal breathed life into the Marian Ministries group through funding from a Parish Faith Formation Grant. That money provided funding for many meaningful experiences to take place.

“It has meant everything. We could not have done what we’ve done without that,” Marian Ministries member Laurie Coffee stated.

Being a part of Marian Ministries has been a transformative experience for many participants.

“I now say a rosary every day, and my life – or my day – does not feel complete unless I’ve said my rosary to Mary,” Marian Ministries member Danette Kerestes explained.

Marian Ministries members believe that Mary, as the mother of Jesus, is a powerful model of faith, humility, and love. By looking to her example, they believe everyone can strengthen their own relationship with Christ and live out their Catholic faith more fully.

Between all the group’s events, Marian Ministries has invited their neighbors to walk in faith and reverence. The ministry group is already making a lasting impact on the lives of many, helping to rekindle a sense of spiritual purpose and unity in an increasingly fragmented world.

“There is a warmth and love that you can clearly feel, and it continues to grow, and it is such a blessing,” Father Bryan Wright, Pastor, Holy Child Parish, stated.

Marian Ministries is always looking to welcome new members.

In the coming year, they already have a pilgrimage planned to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, Mass., scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025, and will also be partnering with women from Williamsport on a Lenten retreat that will take place March 29 at Saint Lawrence Church in South Williamsport.

For more information on these events, email marian-ministries@outlook.com; or call Linda Sampson at (570) 404-2180 or Laurie Coffee at (703) 470-2975. Marian Ministries also has a Facebook page, ‘Marian Ministries,’ that can be followed for the latest information.

STROUDSBURG — During his pontificate marked by an emphasis on inclusion and mutual respect, Pope Francis instructed his Catholic flock that the first step towards finding fraternity with people of other faiths is to “sit down together and listen to each other.” (Fratelli Tutti, 48)

In accord with the Holy Father’s vision, the Faithful Neighbors Ministry was born in May 2023 at Saint Luke Parish in downtown Stroudsburg, with the pastoral goal of forming meaningful relationships with fellow Christians, Jews, Muslims, Unitarian Universalists, Hindus, and Buddhists in the Pocono Mountains.

Led by the pastoral insight of Saint Luke’s spiritual shepherd, Father Michael Quinnan, the ministry soon partnered with the Pocono Interfaith Council. Professor Emeritus Anthony Stevens-Arroyo represents the parish in the organization that fosters ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.

In response to the call to unite Christians during troubled times around the globe, Father Quinnan announced the Church of Saint Luke will host an ecumenical prayer event on Sunday evening, Jan. 19, 2025, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“In a time when faith is often overlooked and our Christian faith is often sidelined, ecumenical prayer is an opportunity for us to pull together and remember our shared belief in Christ,” Father Quinnan said. “This prayer is a graced opportunity for the Christian community to stand together in solidarity, remembering Christ our Savior.”

The Faithful Neighbors Ministry has established its foundation on the Dialogue in Truth and Charity, a 2014 instruction set forth by the Holy See.

The first dialogue — the dialogue of life — in which people strive to live in an open and neighborly spirit to share their joys and sorrows, as well community challenges, is reflected in the Faithful Neighbors Ministry name.

“We have sought to achieve this dialogue with in-person, six-on-six meetings with other faith communities,” Professor Stevens-Arroyo explained. “With these small groups we can sit down with congregation members to listen and engage in a friendly dialogue about what we already share in common and what we can learn from each other.”

The communal gatherings led to the “dialogue of action,” whereby faith communities work together to help others in need through collaborative ministries of social justice. The traditional Thanksgiving interfaith service and donations to church-run homeless shelters and food pantries have provided fitting examples.

The dialogue of theological exchange may be the most challenging, but can also be the most rewarding. This was evidenced in June 2023 when Bishop Joseph C. Bambera joined Father Quinnan and Professor Stevens-Arroyo in meeting with the leadership of the Islamic Hizmet Movement at the Chestnut Retreat Center in Saylorsburg.

“With the outbreak of war in the Holy Land (in October 2023) and the humanitarian suffering that accompanied the Israeli campaign in Gaza, we heeded the calls for peace by our Holy Father, Pope Francis,” Father Quinnan shared. “We reached out to both the Muslim and Jewish communities in our area to discuss the impact of the war on their families and their own lives.”

The final dialogue proposed by the Vatican — the dialogue of religious experience — opens the door for “persons, grounded in and convinced of their own religious traditions,” to share “their spiritual riches of prayer and worship.”

A fitting example of such opportunities was the National Day of Prayer gathering last May at the Monroe County Courthouse Square in Stroudsburg, where Father Quinnan gathered with representatives from various faiths, including Rabbi Daniel Zucker of Temple Israel, Hindu spiritual leader Sri Swami Swatmananda, and Imam Erol Dincer.

“Our hope is that the prayer in the Poconos for Christian unity and interfaith relations will find echo everywhere,” Father Quinnan remarked.

WILKES-BARRE – On the morning of December 6, there was a special excitement in the air at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School.

For many years, that particular day on the calendar has been among the most highly anticipated by students of all ages.

The reason?

Each year, Saint Nicholas visits their school – going to each classroom – and leaving candy and treats behind for each student.

Second-grader Timothy Ellenburg said he knew Saint Nicholas was in the building when he heard bells ringing in the hallway.

When Saint Nicholas walked into his classroom, Ellenburg admitted being really excited.

“He asked us about what Saint Nicholas did and what our favorite candy was,” the young student explained.

When Saint Nicholas left Ellenburg’s classroom, students found KitKats and Sour Patch Kids inside their shoes, which were lined up neatly in the hallway.

“He is a nice and joyful guy and he’s especially kind to kids,” Ellenburg added.

Over the years, the visit of Saint Nicholas has helped to showcase the beloved saint who was known for his generosity and love, especially for children. On his Feast Day, students are reminded that they can carry that spirit of giving and compassion into the world, just as Saint Nicholas did.

“It reminds us to be kind and do things like he does,” sixth-grader Griffin Matusiewicz said. “It reminds us that a lot of people don’t have money or houses and we should be grateful for what we have.”

Chris Tigue, principal of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School, said the tradition of Saint Nicholas visiting the school began many years ago and is a great way to celebrate one of the patron saints of their school.

“We use the opportunity of any saint feast day to increase our faith, to learn what that saint taught us, and is still teaching us through the ages, and to incorporate that into our lives,” Tigue said.

The legend of Saint Nicholas is one of generosity, compassion and miracles. He was the bishop of Myra in Lycia (now Turkey) and used his inheritance to help the needy.

“Nicholas was very in touch with the needs of his people. He would do many things under the darkness of night, he would use this as cover, so the idea of leaving a treat in the children’s shoes is reflective of that old tradition,” Tigue added.

John Rose, a lifelong parishioner of Saint Nicholas Church, had the honor of playing the role of Saint Nicholas this year.

“Saint Nicholas is certainly someone that the students can relate to,” Rose said.

As Rose traveled from classroom to classroom, he was struck by how much the students knew about their patron saint and he feels they truly understood the primary message of the day.

“The primary message is, everybody likes to receive gifts, but not everybody does and when there are people that don’t have the opportunity to receive gifts, and you have the opportunity to help them, that is what can be heartwarming and what the Catholic faith is all about,” Rose said.

WILKES-BARRE – At a time when young adults face an overwhelming amount of pressure – from academic expectations to social media comparisons – finding peace and purpose can seem daunting. The weight of these stressors can lead some teenagers to feeling lost or unsure of their path.

On Nov. 23, 2024, young adults from parishes across the Diocese of Scranton learned the important roles that hope, faith, and trusting God play in navigating the complexities of modern life.

Nearly 300 teenagers attended the second annual Diocesan Youth Rally at Holy Redeemer High School. The event offered students a day of praise and worship, confession, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, and speakers who focused on ways of encountering Christ.

“There are a lot of challenges in the world, and I think that learning through Christ, and learning Christ’s ways, are the best way to solve these problems,” Alec Hattar, an eleventh-grade student from Saint Ann Parish in Shohola, said.

Evangelist and Catholic hip-hop artist Joe Melendrez was the keynote speaker at the Diocesan Youth Rally. He also gave his unique style of music concert, blending praise and worship, encouraging the students to gather around the stage during his performance.

“Music is a super-connector. It goes beyond language, it goes beyond race, it goes beyond ethnicity, it is something that can connect all people,” Melendrez told The Catholic Light before his performance. “To provide music in a way that is not only fun and exciting, but also seasoned with the spirit and baptized in God’s word, what better way to share faith together with people.”

Melendrez recalled his childhood growing up in a Catholic family in Texas, but said it wasn’t until a youth retreat that he had a powerful encounter with God and decided to dedicate his life to following Jesus and sharing the Good News.

Melendrez, who has released five studio albums and performed around the world, said he wanted the young people attending the 2024 Diocesan Youth Rally to “be bold” in sharing their faith.

“Do it for God. Don’t worry about what other people are going to say or think, but know that God is cheering you on, and the Holy Spirit is leading you every step of the way,” Melendrez explained.

Students attending the 2024 Diocesan Youth Rally had the opportunity to attend several breakout sessions on topics geared specifically to their interests – including ‘Gaming and the Faith,’ ‘Finding Christ in Film,’ Faith in Sports,’ and ‘Adventuring with Christ.’

“When there are opportunities like this, I always like to take them, and approach them with an open mind,” Jesus Hernandez, an eleventh-grade student from Scranton Prep, said. “It’s important to build our relationship with God.”

Jiana Mylet, an eighth-grade student who attends Mass at Saint Jude Parish in Mountain Top, said the event served as a powerful reminder that no matter the challenges she faces, she can always turn to God for guidance, strength, and hope.

“It is a way to get closer to God and we’re with friends the whole time,” she said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has declared as saints 16 Carmelite martyrs executed by guillotine during the French Revolution and confirmed the martyrdom and heroic virtues of five others in a series of decrees published Dec. 18.

Using what the Vatican called an “equipollent” or equivalent canonization, Pope Francis approved adding to the canon of saints Blessed Teresa of St. Augustine and 15 other members of the Carmelites of Compiègne killed during the French Reign of Terror.

The French revolutionary government outlawed religious life in 1790 and the community of Carmelites in Compiègne was forced to leave their convent two years later. In 1794, after being discovered to have continued living in community as consecrated women, they were tried and publicly executed by guillotine.

The decree, supported by the cardinals and bishops who are members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, was approved by Pope Francis and extends devotion to the Carmelite martyrs to the universal church.

The other decrees approved by Pope Francis Dec. 18 included recognition of the martyrdom of Archbishop Eduard Profitlich, who died in a Russian prison in 1942.

Archbishop Proffitlich was born in the German empire in 1890, joined the Jesuits and served as a nurse in the First World War before being ordained a priest. He was later made a titular archbishop and served as apostolic administrator of Estonia, where he remained following the Soviet occupation of the country in 1940.

The archbishop was arrested after Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union in 1941 and was taken prisoner in Russia, where he was charged with anti-Soviet agitation and espionage. He died from exposure Feb. 22, 1942.

The pope also recognized the martyrdom of Salesian Father Elia Comini, who was born near Bologna, Italy, May 7, 1910, and was killed out of hatred of the faith Oct. 1, 1944, during World War II.

The priest had been serving the local population in his hometown, which had become a fierce battleground between the German occupiers and the Allies. He and Father Martino Capelli celebrated Mass, taught catechism, cared for refugees and the sick, buried the dead and sought to be peacemakers, even between the Allies and Germans.

Under enemy fire, Fathers Comini and Capelli went to help some 69 hostages being held by the German S.S., but the priests were accused of being spies and were incarcerated with other prisoners, whom they also ministered to. They were all condemned to death, and Father Comini was shot with the others.

The recognition of a sainthood candidate’s martyrdom clears the way to beatification.

Pope Francis also recognized the heroic virtues of Pierre Goursat, a layman and founder of the Emmanuel Community. Born Aug. 15, 1914, in Paris, he experienced a profound spiritual conversion when he was 19 years old.

He managed his family’s boarding house, opened a religious bookstore and established a publishing house in Paris. After joining a group of the Legion of Mary, he met Dominican Father Raymond Pichard, the first to broadcast Sunday Mass on television in France in 1949, and he realized the importance of mass media as a tool for evangelization.

Goursat organized debates, often with directors and actors, in large halls with the public after showing films, eventually establishing the French Cinema Circle in 1951. He became secretary-general of the French Catholic Office of Cinema in 1960 and built close relationships with producers, directors and actors. He also participated in the Cannes and Venice film festivals.

Goursat became active with the charismatic renewal movement and eventually founded the Emmanuel Community in 1972 in France as part of the movement. He retired from managing the community after a heart attack in 1985 and spent the rest of his life in silence and adoration, dying March 25, 1991.

The two other decrees Pope Francis signed Dec. 18 regarded:

— The heroic virtues of Bishop Áron Márton of Alba Iulia, Romania, who lived 1896-1980. An ethnic Hungarian, he ministered to what had become a Catholic minority in Transylvania. After World War II, communists tried to destroy the faith in Romania and to limit the rights of ethnic minorities. He was arrested in 1949 and imprisoned until 1955. Though allowed to return to his diocese as bishop, he was placed under house arrest from 1957 to 1968, after which he was free to govern his diocese. He died from cancer in 1980.

— The heroic virtues of Italian Redemptorist Father Giuseppe Maria Leone, who lived from 1829 to 1902. He was dedicated to confession, preaching, spiritual direction and the pastoral care of children, and he had a deep devotion to Mary.

The beatification of candidates who are not martyrs requires verification of a miracle attributed to their intercession.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis called on Catholics to focus their Holy Year 2025 pilgrimages on Jesus Christ, who is both the path and destination for Christian hope.

At his general audience Dec. 18, the pope began a new series of talks on “Jesus Christ our hope,” which he announced will the theme for his weekly catechesis throughout the Jubilee Year, which is set to begin with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 24.

Jesus, “is the destination of our pilgrimage, and he himself is the way, the path to be traveled,” he said in the Vatican audience hall.

Walking across the stage to his seat rather than using a wheelchair as he had previously done, Pope Francis stopped to pray before a relic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the 19th-century French saint who was the subject of an apostolic exhortation published by the pope in 2023.

After aides read the genealogy of Jesus from St. Matthew’s Gospel in various languages, the pope explained that “the genealogy is a literary genre that is a suitable for conveying a very important message: No one gives life to him- or herself but receives it as a gift for others.”

Unlike the genealogies in the Old Testament, which mention only male figures, St. Matthew includes five women in Jesus’ lineage, Pope Francis noted. Four of the women are united “by being foreigners to the people of Israel,” the pope said, highlighting Jesus’ mission to embrace both Jews and Gentiles.

The mention of Mary in the genealogy “marks a new beginning,” Pope Francis said, “because in her story it is no longer the human creature who is the protagonist of generation, but God himself.”

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, the genealogy typically describes lineage by stating that a male figure “became the father of” a son. However, when it comes to Mary, the wording shifts: “of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

Through his lineage to David, Jesus is destined to be the Messiah of Israel, but because he is also descended from Abraham and foreign women, he will become the “light of the Gentiles” and “savior of the world,” Pope Francis said citing Scripture.

“Brothers and sisters, let us awaken in ourselves the grateful memory toward our ancestors,” he said, “and above all let us give thanks to God who, through mother church, has begotten us to eternal life, the life of Jesus, our hope.”

In his greeting to pilgrims after his main talk, Pope Francis briefly reflected on his Dec. 15 daytrip to the French island of Corsica to close a theology conference on popular religiosity.

“The recent trip in Corsica, where I was so warmly welcomed, particularly struck me for the fervor of the people” who do not treat faith as a “private matter,” he said, as well as “for the number of children present, a great joy and a great hope.”

PARIS (OSV News) – Firefighters and police officers formed a human chain to rescue the crown of thorns from the inferno at Notre Dame on April 15, 2019. On Dec. 13, 2024, this holiest relic of Paris’ cathedral was returned to its proper home on the Île de la Cité.

Though temperatures were cold, the facade of Notre Dame was sunny in the late afternoon, as the procession arrived on foot along the cathedral from Palais du Louvre, on the other side of the Seine River, where the treasure had been stored since the fire.

A knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, dressed in a large black cloak trimmed in red, held the crown of thorns, in its crystal circle frame, on a red velvet cushion. Over 400 members of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, including 200 knights dressed in white coats marked with the red Jerusalem cross, participated in the procession. They have been the crown’s honor guard since the archbishop of Paris entrusted it to their care in 1923.

The crown of thorns, placed on Jesus’ head by his captors to cause him pain and mock his claim of authority, was acquired by St. Louis, then-King Louis IX of France, in Constantinople in 1239 for 135,000 livres — nearly half France’s annual expenditure at the time, according to the BBC.

It was moved to Notre Dame’s treasury from the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle in 1806.

A crowd of faithful and curious onlookers gathered on the forecourt of the cathedral as the relic made its way to Notre Dame. Among them was Bénédicte de Villers, a 50-year-old woman who had come to do some Christmas shopping in central Paris. “I was not far away, and realizing what was happening, I took the Metro to come,” she told OSV News.

“I arrived in front of Notre Dame just as the procession was beginning to enter the cathedral through the central door. Hearing the organ and the singing, I begged the security guards to let me in, explaining that I am a practicing Catholic, and that praying in front of Christ’s crown of thorns meant a lot to me,” she said. “I had already come to venerate it at Notre Dame during Lent.”

The lucky onlooker said that the guards let her in, and she was able to witness the ceremony from up close.

Once the crown of thorns had been placed on the main new altar inside the cathedral, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris addressed the 2,000-strong audience of faithful.

“We are moving from the time of Advent to the time of the Passion, but that is the way it is all the time in life, and in the Christian life,” he said. “We come to adore the Lord in the gift he made of himself to all humanity, as the Son of God.”

During the Passion reading that followed, the cathedral’s rector-archpriest, Father Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, presented the crown to the faithful in a long, deep silence.

The procession of chaplains, canons and knights then made a complete tour of the cathedral through the side aisles, with the crown of thorns, while the choir sang the Litany of the Passion.

“It was a very slow, very contemplative tour, so that everyone could see the crown (of thorns),” Villiers recounted. “Everyone was silent, very respectful … It was a solemn but joyful ceremony, with everyone in awe of the cathedral’s beauty,” she said.

Night had fallen by the time the procession reached the back chapel behind the choir, in the axis of the nave. Here, under a vault in which the blue color has been revived, the new reliquary of the crown of thorns has been placed.

It is the work of French designer Sylvain Dubuisson, and takes the form of an altarpiece in marble and cedar wood, with the altar wall 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. It evokes the iconostasis of Orthodox churches with its notched panels enclosing gilded bronze thorns. This serves as a reminder of the history of the crown of thorns. For several centuries, before St. Louis purchased it, it belonged to the Byzantine Empire.

The marble altar is lit by small candles, and the central part of the cedar wall is a gilded disk, adorned with 396 hand-crafted glass blocks that reflect the light. At its center, some 7 feet high, a blue niche, matching the chapel’s vaulting and stained-glass windows, shelters the crown of thorns.

Archbishop Ulrich blessed the new reliquary, and prayed for all those who will come to pray there.

Father Pascal Ide, one of the cathedral’s chaplains, told OSV News he was mesmerized with the new design. “This new reliquary is all radiance,” he said.

The relic of the crown of thorns will be displayed every Friday from Jan. 10, 2025, until Good Friday; on other days it will be stored in the safe inside the marble altar.

For Father Ide, Notre Dame is now entirely a “cathedral of light.”

“Reopening day was a historic moment,” he said. “I spent three hours discovering it (anew), and prayed in each of its 29 side chapels. The physical path around it is like a mystical itinerary, which allows you to inscribe your personal story in the great story of salvation.”