World
Worshippers return to restored Notre Dame for Easter rituals with emotion and awe
PARIS (AP) — Four months after its long-awaited reopening, Notre Dame Cathedral welcomed worshippers and tourists alike on Friday for an emotional Easter ceremony centered on the Crown of Thorns, a circular band of branches encased in a golden tube and one of Christianity’s most revered relics.
The ritual, held during Holy Week, included liturgical chants, candlelight, and a solemn procession of clerics carrying the Crown of Thorns through the alleys of the cathedral.
Tourists queued in a line that stretched across the Seine, waiting to enter the renovated Gothic landmark. Inside, ushers struggled to gently enforce a separation between curious visitors and the faithful.
Notre Dame’s rector, Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, said this week’s crowda exceeded expectations.
“ Before the fire, we saw about 20,000 pilgrims a day,” he said. “Now it’s closer to 30,000. The joy people feel rediscovering the cathedral — you can see it on their faces as they leave.”
Among the worshippers was Marylène Portet, 63, a Paris native who has attended Easter Mass at Notre Dame since childhood. She frowned as a group of tourists pulled out their phone to snap photos from areas where the faithful were gathered.
“This is a sacred moment,” she said. “You don’t just take a picture of the relic and move on.”
After the ushers intervened, Portet went back to soaking up the moment, gazing at the renewed ceiling or leaning forward to catch a glimpse of the ceremony unfolding more than 200 rows ahead.
“It’s not only the cathedral that’s been rebuilt,” she said. “It feels like a link that was missing for so long has been restored too.”
Tiphaine Mauquiez, 41, came with her two young daughters from Poitiers in central France.
“We tried to attend Mass during reopening week in December but couldn’t get in,” she said. “This time we made it. For my daughters to witness this magnificent moment — it’s unbelievable.”
In January, cathedral officials announced a record attendance in the first month following the reopening.
“Before the fire, we welcomed between 10 and 12 million visitors a year,” said Sibylle Bellamy-Brown, head of public reception at Notre Dame. “Since the reopening, more than 3.5 million have already come. But our goal isn’t to set records. What matters is seeing the cathedral come back to life.”
For French and foreign worshippers alike, the day of celebration wasn’t just about faith, but reconnection.
Marianna Janik, 34, visiting from Poland with her husband, said they planned their trip around this moment.
“We simply could not miss this,” she said, before kneeling as the relic procession passed. “We came to Mass here 10 years ago. When the fire happened, we were heartbroken. So coming back now to worship Jesus Christ in a cathedral that rose from the ashes — it’s even more powerful.”
On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire forced the closure of the monument. After a five-year renovation that’s still ongoing, Notre Dame reopened in Dec. 2024 in a grand ceremony that drew leaders from around the world.
World
‘X-Men’ Star Famke Janssen Says Marvel ‘Made a Mistake’ By Not Asking Her to Return as Jean Grey in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Famke Janssen said during a recent conversation with Nerdtropolis at Spacecon 2026 that Marvel “made a mistake” by not bringing her back as Jean Grey for December’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”
“I am so bad at keeping secrets that I always say to everyone I’m the worst actor in the world. It’s all on my face. You right away will read it,” Janssen said. “I think they made a mistake, but hey, who am I? I’m just a little me who thinks that.”
Janssen first appeared as the telepath Jean Grey, aka Phoenix, in 2000’s “X-Men,” and then reprised the role for 2003’s “X2: X-Men United” and 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand.” She also briefly appeared as Grey in 2013’s “The Wolverine” and 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
Janssen’s absence from “Doomsday” is notable, considering Marvel is bringing back many of her “X-Men” co-stars for the film. Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) are all set to return.
In an October 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Janssen said in every interview she does, she’s asked about the future of Jean Grey in the MCU.
“It’s interesting,” Janssen said. “I didn’t realize that was such a big part. Every interview I do, that will come up, and of everything I say, that is going to be the only thing that’s gonna be printed.”
“I should be flattered, I suppose, that this character has resonated with people,” she added. “It’s been so long, but it’s nice that people are still talking about her. I’m sure every single time there’s a new movie that they’re doing, like [is it] ‘Doomsday?’ … it’ll come up again.”
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Authorities are responding after two passenger trains crashed into each other Friday near Bedford, England, killing at least one person and injuring nearly 90 others.
The East of England Ambulance Service said it was called to a collision involving two trains at Elstow, near Bedford, at about 5:15 p.m. local time and quickly declared a “major incident.”
One person died at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 people had minor injuries, officials said.
Bedford is roughly 60 miles north of London.
2 TRAINS COLLIDE IN DENMARK, LEAVING 5 PEOPLE CRITICALLY INJURED
Two passenger trains collided Friday in the United Kingdom. (Fox News)
All the patients with the most serious injuries have been taken from the scene to hospital.
The ambulance service said it sent numerous resources to the scene, including more than 20 ambulances, specialist hazardous area response teams and six air ambulances.
MULTIPLE STABBED IN UK TRAIN ATTACK NEAR CAMBRIDGE AS POLICE ARREST 2 SUSPECTS
Emergency crews were pictured working near the scene. (Fox News)
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we thank all emergency service colleagues for their swift response,” the ambulance service wrote in a statement.
The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its crews were also responding.
“Please avoid the area,” fire officials wrote in a statement on X.
Sources told The Telegraph the train driver was on the phone with maintenance staff discussing a safety issue at the time of the crash.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
As Israel’s war on Lebanon rages, hundreds gather in Rmeileh by Sidon Gate to watch the 2026 World Cup. Organised by influencer Bilal Haddad, the fan zone offers food trucks, shisha and family activities, giving people a rare chance to relax. Al Jazeera’s Justin Salhani went to check it out.
Published On 20 Jun 2026
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