(CNN) A small Mass was celebrated at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday evening -- the first since a fire destroyed the structure's spire, parts of the roof and vault in April.

Access to the event was extremely limited due to safety concerns , with around 30 people attending, the Archdiocese of Paris said.

The Mass was held in a side chapel that was left undamaged by the fire, and the attendees were required to wear protective hard hats.

"It is with much emotion that we are here to celebrate the consecration of the cathedral," Michel Aupetit, the archbishop of Paris who led the Mass, said according to Reuters news agency.

Michel Aupetit, the Archbishop of Paris (center), poses with other members of the clergy following the Mass.

"It is a message of hope and thanks to all those who were moved by what happened to this cathedral," he added, noting that it was "a bit strange" to conduct the Mass wearing a hard hat.

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