On 15 April 2019, fire engulfed the roof of Notre Dame de Paris, a medieval, Catholic Cathedral in Paris, France. By the time it was contained, the Cathedral’s wooden spire had completely collapsed, and most of its wooden roof and upper walls were destroyed, or badly damaged. Some interior and exterior artwork was damaged by smoke or destroyed. Toxic dust from the fire filled the building and areas nearby.
Divine and human intervention prevented more serious damage to the Cathedral’s interior. Somehow, the Cathedral’s vaulted stone ceiling, helped to contain the burning roof as it fell, thus saving an altar, and two organs, including an 8,000-piper, regarded as the Cathedral’s “crown jewel” of sorts, and France’s largest musical instrument. Craftsmen would take about two years to return it to its former thunderous, melodic standing. Three, precious, rose windows suffered little or no damage. Many, priceless pieces of religious art and relics were saved.
Mercifully, no one died. However, three emergency workers were injured.
Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, Notre Dame is arguably, the most famous of the world’s Gothic cathedrals. Situated on the Seine River, its breathtaking architecture is lauded, and revered to the extent that some 13 million people visit it every year.
On Sunday 8th December 2024, the Cathedral was reopened in a moving ceremony that was attended by several heads of government and religion. That such an outcome was achieved within five years, including nearly three years of COVID-induced mayhem, is understandably being described by some, as a miracle. Indeed, it’s a feat that would have made Hercules blush. It was accomplished by an army of paid and volunteer craftsmen, including master glassmakers, carpenters, wood carvers, and locksmiths from France and across Europe, who helped to clean and restore the Cathedral’s fire-ravaged, interior. Friendly churches in the region such as Germany’s Cologne Cathedral helped to restore several of the Cathedral’s famed, stained glass windows.
The cost of the rehabilitation is estimated at US$739 million. At first blush, this may look like a colossal amount of money. But no price tag can be placed on the restoration of the soul of Parisians that a fully restored NDC has made possible.
Millions of Christians (Catholics and non-Catholics), and non-Christians in France and across the world were rooting for a quick and complete restoration of the NDC. This shows that there is a near-universal appreciation of buildings of outstanding architectural merit. It also demonstrates that such buildings hold global significance. It’s debatable whether a non-Church building would have elicited an outpouring of global concern, as strong as the NDC did.
What accounts for this global sentiment and how can Saint Lucians build a similar culture of appreciation for our most iconic national building, the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (MBIC)?
What’s clear is that the global appeal of any architectural edifice flows from national appreciation of it. Importantly, the NDC was kept in decent, enough shape, to enable its magnificence to glow. This must be a costly venture. Clearly, the Government, Church, and various non-Church, and non-governmental entities have found a common purpose in preserving the NDC for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Many Saint Lucians must feel the same way about the MBIC. I certainly do! It’s impossible for me to imagine the city of Castries without the MBIC at its current location. Quite apart from its own 125-year history, the MBIC has played an axial role in Saint Lucia’s pre- and post-independence life. Indeed, there’s hardly been a historical event of any significance in which the Church has not played such a role. Moreover, it has served as a spiritual hospital of sorts, during and after many national crises, such as the fires of 1919 and 1948, extreme weather events, bearing innocent names such as Janet, Beulah, Tomas, and Debbie, and the Ravine Poisson disaster. Poignantly, the MBIC was itself the target of the biggest assault on its religious and structural integrity, which occurred on December 31, 2000. I still carry the mental scars from that event, so much so, that even nearly 25 years later, I’m unable to recount it.
Sadly, the MBIC has lost some of its grandeur, partly due to its age, termite infestation, and a lack of timely maintenance. I lament the loss of its signature ceiling which bore homage to a galaxy of Saints, including those after whom I am named. Some of its stained-glass windows are falling apart and the artwork of the late, great painter, and designer of Saint Lucia’s national Flag, Dunstan St. Omer and his sons, continues to fade.
Church authorities must be credited for restoring the Choir Loft, after many years of fundraising, mainly through collections from parishioners. However, given the magnitude of the restoration effort that’s needed, a similar approach to that used for the choir loft will not work.
The task is much bigger than Church authorities can handle. Every church has a parish centre which must be maintained. Many of these buildings are primarily made of wood and therefore are susceptible to termite infestation. The Castries Parish Centre (CPC) is in bad shape and is a prime candidate for demolition. However, it would be a tragedy if the Soufriere Parish Centre, which possesses much architectural appeal, should suffer the same fate as the CPC.
However, the Catholic Church is more than just a collection of buildings. It delivers a vast suite of social and spiritual services to needy Saint Lucians of all Faiths. The Church is not-for-profit. It does not demand tithes and accepts what parishioners offer. Consequently, it ought not to surprise anyone, if the Church is deep in debt.
While the Church’s liabilities are sky-high, its hierarchy must creatively use its immovable assets to help fund the restoration of the MBIA. It would be patently unproductive for the Church to sit on these assets while its crown jewel deteriorates. The Church has land that the Government needs for its capital development programmes. The restoration of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception offers a major opportunity for the two sides to emulate the miracle of the Notre Dame Cathedral.