My wife and I will be flying home on Christmas Day and will spend Christmas Eve in Paris. We have been to Paris several times and are flying out of CDG at the end of our 10 days in France. We are interested in a Christmas Eve service/mass and are looking for suggestions on a great place for this. Do the major cathedrals/churches have services? For example, Sainte-Chappelle or Sacre-Coeur? TIA
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
641 posts
Stephen,
Ste. Chapelle is no longer an "operating" church. It was "decommissioned." You can go to mass times.org to find out times of masses worldwide, but I doubt if any services for Christmas will be online this soon. You could probably find each church's website to email them with questions, but maybe only in French.
If I had to choose, I would like to attend Ste. Sulpice because of the organ's reputation. However, many churches in Paris are known for their music, choirs, etc.
In the Catholic church, many parishes have moved midnight services up to 10:00 p.m. At least in the US.
Bonne chance!
Posted by
237 posts
Sounds really lovely to attend a service anywhere in Paris on Christmas Eve. Notre Dame Cathedral will be reopening on December 8, 2024 with special celebrations through June 8, 2025. Maybe there will be something special held on Christmas Eve. (I assume a midnight mass, but with the reopening, perhaps there are other events as well.)
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10196 posts
Of course there's midnight mass at Notre Dame de Paris, but also in the other churches around town.
In France families celebrate with a festive meal. Those who go to church eat after midnight mass.
Be sure to book a restaurant if you want to eat. You can catch up on your sleep in the plane the 25th.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2745 posts
We did Notre Dame years ago and it was magical.... It's "suppose' to be open this year by then If you do chose that get there EARLY, it was packed when we went and with it being the first holiday after the fire.... I bet it's a popular event!