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Jesus wept: eyewitnesses to devastation of Notre Dame

Two Northwest Corner residents were in Paris on Monday, April 15, as flames destroyed the roof and spire of Notre Dame Cathedral. 

Michelle Alfandari of Sharon was taking her 7-year-old great-nephew, Hudson Albanese, and his mother, Paula, on the young man’s first visit to Paris. 

On Monday morning they had stopped by the plaza outside the cathedral and snapped happy photos on a sunny day. 

And then they decided not to go inside just yet. They would wait until another day, later in the trip. 

Interior designer Matthew Patrick Smyth, who has a home in Salisbury, is a frequent visitor to Paris. He was there on Monday and shared some thoughts and observations. 

“Last night [April 15] I was on my way to Notre Dame to buy a reserved seat for a concert of medieval music for tonight. While there  I was hoping to see a friend who was in the church with her family and perhaps meet up. 

“The sky was dark in that direction and I assumed an unpredicted storm was coming in but as I got closer I knew something was very wrong. People were rushing toward the Seine and I noticed the look of shock and concern on their faces. I stopped a young woman and asked her what was happening and she told me that Notre Dame was on fire. 

“I came around the corner and could not believe the sight. The loud sounds of sirens and police whistles were matched with people shouting  into their phones and calling for each other. 

“It was hard to move, but it was orderly. The police were very organized and the crowd was respectful. I started to leave but turned back, waiting for  word that my friends were OK. Eventually they texted back that they were out and safe. 

“I then left the crowd, as I didn’t think our being there helped the emergency services. As I moved away I broke down when I noticed elderly men and women walking back home in tears, some alone, others holding on to each other. This was their church.”  

Lakeville Journal

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