Amen at work! Notre-Dame reopens — but clergy and faithful don hard hats in case any debris falls from the heavens Dispensing with his mitre, Archbishop Michel Aupetit presided over service Joined by 30 other clerics and officials — the maximum allowed for safety The mass took place in a chapel behind the choir, an area considered safe By Abdul Taher For Mail On Sunday Published: 01:38 BST, 16 June 2019 | Updated: 01:38 BST, 16 June 2019 Viewcomments Their heads protected by safety helmets in case of falling debris, the Archbishop of Paris and a priest celebrate mass at Notre-Dame in the first service since the devastating fire that shocked the world two months ago. Dispensing with his mitre, Archbishop Michel Aupetit presided over the service with 30 other clerics and officials, the maximum number allowed under current conditions. The mass took place in a chapel behind the choir, an area that construction experts consider to be safe. Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit dons a hardhat instead of the traditional mitre as other members of clergy stand in cassocks and construction helmets to worship in Saturday's mass - the first since the inferno swept through the church two months ago Last week, France’s Culture Minister, Franck Riester, said the 850-year-old cathedral – one of the country’s most famous landmarks – remains in a ‘fragile’ state. The annual Dedication Mass commemorated Notre-Dame’s consecration as a place of worship. Mr Aupetit said: ‘This cathedral is a place of worship, it is its very own and unique purpose.’ One French priest called the service ‘true happiness, full of hope’. Father Pierre Vivares, another priest who attended the service, said after the mass: ‘We will rebuild this cathedral. It will take time of course – a lot of money, lot of time, lot of work – but we will succeed.’ The cathedral seen today where construction work continues to try and rebuild the decimated roof - members of the reconstruction team have been invited to worship at tonight's mass He added: ‘Today it’s a small but a true victory against the disaster we have had.’ In April the world watched in horror as fire engulfed the majestic cathedral. The blaze is feared to have been started accidentally in the scaffolding that had been erected for renovation work on the cathedral’s spire. President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild Notre-Dame within the next five years, and donation pledges of £757 million were made within days by wealthy French philanthropists and companies. However, last week, Mr Riester, revealed that only ten per cent of the money pledged has been paid so far. Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit, leads the first mass in a side chapel two months to the day after a devastating fire engulfed the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility