Notre Dame Cathedral, ravaged by fire in April, will not host Christmas services for first time since French Revolution

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption A look inside the charred Notre Dame Cathedral French officials give a first hand look insIde Notre Dame Cathedral nearly one month after it was heavily damaged by flames. (May 14)

France's historic Notre Dame Cathedral will be dark and empty on Christmas for the first time in more than 200 years. The iconic Gothic structure has been relegated to a massive construction site since the devastating blaze that collapsed its roof and spire in April.

Christmas services have been moved a mile away to Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a church dating back to the 7th century.

“This is the first time since the French Revolution that there will be no midnight Mass” at Notre Dame, said cathedral rector Patrick Chauvet. “We have the opportunity to celebrate the Mass outside the walls ... with some indicators that Notre Dame is connected to us.”

Chauvet said a wooden liturgical platform was constructed in the Saint-Germain church to resemble Notre Dame’s. Notre Dame’s choir will sing at midnight Mass.

The cathedral held a modest service in June in its Chapel of the Virgin, marking 850 years since the consecration of the cathedral's altar. The 30 gathered congregants wore hard hats under a ceiling with gaping holes.

More than $1 billion was pledged by thousands of donors to finance the reconstruction. French President Emmanuel Macron set a five-year goal to complete the work.

“It is up to us to convert this disaster into an opportunity to come together," Macron said after the fire. "This is not a time for politics.”

Progress has been slow. In August, Paris authorities shut down streets around the cathedral to decontaminate them after high levels of lead were discovered in the area. Culture Minister Franck Riester said a few more months of conservation work is needed before reconstruction is fully underway.

The cathedral was undergoing renovations when the fire broke out April 15. Throngs of spectators watched in stunned horror from nearby buildings, bridges and streets as flames and smoke spewed from the architectural marvel. The fire burned for hours, virtually unabated despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters.

The cause of the blaze remains a mystery and the subject of multiple investigations. Investigators said an electrical short or a simple cigarette could have ignited the blaze.

Last month, cathedral officials began lighting up the building after dusk, illuminating the famed gargoyles and stone statues.

Contributing. The Associated Press