The Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit leads the first mass in a side chapel on June 15, two months after a devastating fire engulfed the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Photo: VCG

 

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was unable to hold Christmas Eve Mass for the first time in more than 200 years - after a fire ravaged its structure in April.

With heavy hearts, French Catholics instead gathered at the nearby church of Saint-­Germain l'Auxerrois, a few hundred meters away, for a service celebrated by the cathedral's rector Patrick Chauvet.

"It isn't the same feeling but it's still a Christmas Mass," said 16-year-old Juliette, who had made the 700-kilometer trip from Aix with her family. "There will be a thought for Notre-Dame tonight, that's for sure."

"We have been crying since April 15, and today even more," said Danielle, a Parisian, who attended last year's mass at the Paris landmark. However, she was lifted by the choir of Notre-Dame, who performed at the mass.

Meanwhile, workers continue to repair and rebuild the cherished cathedral.

Notre-Dame, part of a UNESCO world heritage site on the banks of the River Seine lost its Gothic spire, roof and many precious artifacts in the fire. 

President Emmanuel Macron has set a timetable of five years to completely repair the 8-century-old structure, which remains shrouded in scaffolding with a vast crane looming over it. Paris prosecutors suspect criminal negligence and opened an investigation in June.