Parisians Sang "Ave Maria" And Collectively Prayed As They Watched Notre Dame Burn

“Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. The inexplicable fact is that the blinder it is, the more tenacious it is. It is never stronger than when it is completely unreasonable.” ― Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Priscilla Fraire / Via unsplash.com

Notre Dame Cathedral, before the fire

At approximately 6pm (local) on April 15, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire

Emergency services were called at 6:20pm (local), mentioning a fire in the attic. The fire was not visible at that time, however, by the second call at 6:40pm (local) the fire was visible.

400 firefighters were deployed, however, they encountered mild delays in rush hour traffic. Water was pumped out of the Seine river to help fight the blaze, which was spreading quickly across the roof, constructed out of oak wood from the 13th century. At 8pm (local) the iconic spire in the middle of the roof burned to a black shell and fell.

Parisians gathered around the cathedral began singing "Ave Maria" in prayer

Ignacio Gil @Inaki_Gil

Ave Maria

07:12 PM - 15 Apr 2019

@Inaki_Gil

The fire occurred in the middle of the Christian Holy Week, lasting from Palm Sunday until Easter

Andrei Popoviciu @AndreiPopoviciu

The view from St Michele. As night falls, a group of people are singing while everyone else is taking photos and watch in shock. All feels eerie. #NotreDame #notredamedeparis

07:11 PM - 15 Apr 2019

@AndreiPopoviciu

Many were unable to watch, and held their heads in their hands

Alexander Durie @alexander_durie

It's a very moving moment here in #NotreDame. People are still singing the Hail Mary choir in disbelief. No other words can be uttered at this tragic event. #NotreDameFire #NotreDameDeParis

08:28 PM - 15 Apr 2019

@alexander_durie

They prayed together

Katie Hinman @khinman

My brother @HinmanLabUCLA sends along this super sad video of Parisians holding hands, kneeling in prayer and singing together as they watch Notre Dame burning.

07:21 PM - 15 Apr 2019

@khinman

And sang together

Kasa @amanozako1

Crowd singing Ave Maria as Notre Dame burns #NotreDameFire #Paris

09:59 PM - 15 Apr 2019

@amanozako1

The fire was extinguished nine hours later.

At 11pm (local) President Emmanuel Macron stated that "The worst has been avoided. The façade and the two main towers did not collapse." The fire brigade announced early Tuesday morning that the fire had been extinguished nine hours after it first began, and no one was killed during the fire.

Notre Dame's two towers, alter, cross, crown of thorns, rose windows, and organ all survived. Many other pieces of artwork were saved by emergency services, but the fate of several relics remains unknown.

The fire has been called an accident, but there is an open investigation into the source.