Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

Travel Date:

Friday, 30th May 2014

One of my best activities in our european spotlight tour is to visit these sacred destinations. Each of the churches we've visited has its own beauty, style and atmosphere. I admit Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris blew me away and the most stunning so far. When you see the structure from a distance, you can't help but noticed the flying buttress (arched exterior supports), the spire and the roof with statuary.

At the western facade, you will see the many small individually crafted statues used to serve as column supports and water spouts. Then you will also see the 3 portals in different representations like on the first portal (on the west) is the sculpture of St. Anne, detail of central portal, depicting the Last Judgment and the last door is the Portal of the Virgin.  Other notable structures are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, and chimeras. The exterior design of the church already made me wow, how much more when we entered in the church.

When we entered at the Portal of St. Anne, it made me feel goose bumps feeling the serenity while seeing the very intricate gothic style architecture, sculptures and stained glass found in this sacred place. Among the remarkable designs we've seen are:

• The south rose stained window with a theme of the Old Testament
• The north rose stained window with a theme of the New Testament
• Notre-Dame's high altar with the kneeling statues of Louis XIII andLouis XIV
• Memorial tablet to the British Empire dead of the First World War
• The patron saint, Our Lady of Paris

The cathedral treasury is housing the following holy objects like the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.

Have you heard about the Hunchback of Notre Dame story written by Victor Hugo? He wrote that story out of his imagination when he found out that no one could explain to him how the word "necessity" inscripted into the walls of one of the bell towers in Notre Dame cathedral.

Praise God! I feel blessed to have visited this place and able to say prayers for my family and friends.