Lenten lectures are back at Notre Dame, marking a 'grand retour' of a Parisian classic

PARIS (OSV News) -- The traditional "Lenten Conferences" resumed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this Lenten season, for the first time since the fire of April 15, 2019.

Lent 2025 is also marked by record participation in Ash Wednesday Masses in France and a record number of catechumens preparing to enter the Catholic Church on Easter.

Notre Dame lectures, a Lenten hallmark, have a long history dating back to the French monarchy, but in contemporary times were renewed and systematized in 1834 by a young lay Catholic student, Frédéric Ozanam, beatified in 1997 by St. John Paul II in Notre Dame during World Youth Days in Paris.

Ozanam established the tradition of the lectures along with young Father Henri Lacordaire, whose Lenten preaching became an instant classic in Paris. A few years after starting the lectures, during Lent 1938, the diocesan priest entered religious life and joined the Dominican order.

To this day, Lenten Notre Dame lectures are a major event on the French cultural calendar. Traditionally, the speakers address both believers and nonbelievers. Every Sunday until Easter, the faithful can attend them in person, but they are also broadcast live on France Culture, a branch of French public radio, and Catholic television channel KTO.

In the Jubilee Year, following Notre Dame's splendid reopening in December 2024, six different people -- priests, religious and laity -- including a Dominican nun who is a doctor in a prison, take turns leading them on the theme "Our Lady, Queen of Peace, from the Magnificat to the Apocalypse."

"These people were chosen because they are close to the cathedral," Father Henri de Villefranche, one of Notre Dame's chaplains, explained to OSV News during a special visit to the cathedral for journalists, organized by the Archdiocese of Paris.

"We have some real gems" among the speakers, he added. "Without being media stars, they are people of the highest caliber in their field," he said.

For Father de Villefranche, the novelty is that these Lenten Conferences are animated for the first time by readings, chants and organ pieces performed by professionals.

"There is a kind of staging which, without being theatrical, is somewhat reminiscent of the 'Mystery plays' of the Middle Ages, which were performed in churchyards," he explained. "The aim is to create an opportunity for real encounters, between those who come, and the Word of God which is transmitted through the words of the speakers."

The animation of these conferences relies in particular on the new lighting system of the cathedral, entirely renovated and modernized during renovation works, since old installations had been polluted by lead. The entire system has been redesigned, taking into account the different uses of the cathedral: Masses and other liturgical services, veneration of the crown of thorns, and permanent tourist visits, more focused on the architecture.

Today, visitors witness progressive variations in lighting during their visit to Notre Dame. Some lights are whiter and emphasize architectural details. Other lights are softer or warmer. Some are subdued, such as the one next to the tabernacle. With progressive lighting, attention is focused on the central altar during Mass.

"At the moment of the consecration, the light dims, and everyone understands that something special is happening," Father de Villefranche explained. "But unlike the stages of theaters, it is not only the altar that is illuminated. It is not a stage! The nave is also illuminated, although in a different way, to show that the whole congregation is participating."

On March 9 the cathedral was full for the first lecture, with the small spotlights illuminating the arches of the cathedral's first floor, allowing the colored light of the stained-glass windows to enter.

Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris introduced the first speaker, lay philosopher Laurence Devillairs, a specialist in 17th-century philosophers including René Descartes and Blaise Pascal. An academic teacher at the Sorbonne University, Devillairs is known for her Catholic faith. Her talk, centered on the Annunciation and the Magnificat, was accompanied by French actor Maxime d'Aboville reading passages from the Gospel.

He also read extracts from the writings of Hannah Arendt, the German-Jewish philosopher and political scientist who escaped the Nazi occupation of Europe and became an American citizen in 1950.

Devillairs presented what faith and trust in God is, embodied by the Blessed Mother, in a language that was clearly understandable to contemporary listeners, even if they were not familiar with Christian faith.

The success of the first Lenten Conference reinforced that of Ash Wednesday throughout France. The Catholic media reported a surprising increase in the number of people attending Mass on March 5 in many dioceses. "Never seen before!" said the headline of French magazine Famille Chrétienne, with Catholic daily La Croix saying that attendance at Ash Wednesday Masses "skyrocketed."

It is particularly the exceptionally high number of young people that surprised observers. Interviewed by La Croix, Father Benoist de Sinety, a parish priest in Lille, in northern France, explained this influx by the role of Catholic influencers, whose videos describing the rites of Lent to other young people are very popular.

"There is a very contagious enthusiasm among young believers," he said. "They are no longer afraid to invite their friends to Mass." He said, "The rites have gradually disappeared in our society, but they are necessary and young people feel the need for them."

Father de Sinety also said that he was very surprised when young people came to ask him by the time Mass ended how to be baptized.

Since 2020, the number of requests for baptism from adults and young people has increased significantly in France, after continuous decreases since 2000. In 2024, 12,160 catechumens were baptized in France, an increase of 31% compared to 2023.

"The increase has been confirmed again this year," Diane Pilotaz, communications director for the French bishops' conference, told OSV News. "The number of people baptized at Easter will once again surprise us. It is now a fundamental trend."