Notre Dame Burns, OC Community Reflects

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA —Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire in Paris on Monday, one day after Palm Sunday, a major religious holiday one week before Easter.

Residents of Orange County, including your Patch editor, have reflected on visits to the famed church, and recollect how it is much more than a grand stone edifice. It is the center of religious life and a symbol of something much more significant than ourselves.

In San Juan Capistrano, JSerra Catholic High School’s Vice President of Mission and Faith Patrick Reidy shared his thoughts on the tragedy in Paris with Patch.

“Our heart goes out to the people of Paris and to all those around the world who understand the significance of this historical monument of Church and culture," Reidy told Patch. "Notre Dame Cathedral has stood for centuries both as an architectural and spiritual landmark, one of the masterpieces of the Christian heritage of Western Civilization. It is a heart-breaking moment for Paris and all of us.”

Heartbreaking, indeed.

When I was 18-years-old, I had the blessing of a visit to Europe, stopping in Paris for several days to drink in the art, architecture, and history of that amazing city. Memories of that trip have stayed with me years later.

I recall the vivid description, and demonstration thanks to our tour guide, on how flying buttresses worked. How they held up those massive walls and created an open and airy space for worshipers to meditate and pray.

In Europe, the church is the center of the community. It is the place people go in time of need and suffering, in times of praise and thankfulness and now, on Easter week it is a reminder of the people who fill it are the church, and their home is in ruins.

Bishop Robert E. Barron of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who studied in Paris and served as a tour guide at the iconic symbol of Catholicism, spoke on the loss, Monday. Barron, the episcopal vicar of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region, which is part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, received a doctorate in sacred theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris in 1992.

He told NBC News that while studying in Paris, he lived just blocks from the cathedral.

He told NBC the structure "sums up so much of the Catholic history and spirit."

"It's meant to symbolize the body of Christ, meant to symbolize the Cross, which you can see in the design of the cathedral," Barron said. "This one has survived so much. It survived war and revolution and social change."

He noted that many of the building's windows date back to the 13th Century, while the iconic spire that toppled in Monday's fire was added during a 19th Century renovation.

"Much of that building is very authentically medieval, especially the windows, that are magnificent," he said.

"It's a spiritual center for Catholicism, but also I think for all of Europe (Notre Dame) is a spiritual center," he told NBC. "And then from a cultural standpoint ... it is the most visited site in Paris, meaning one of the most visited sites in Europe. (It's) heartbreaking as I look at these pictures. It's devastating to me personally as well as all Catholics."

Patch invites you to share your memories and travel photos of Notre Dame by emailing your editor: Ashley.Ludwig@Patch.com or sharing on your local Patch neighbor page.