Delville Management welcomes Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas

Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas shares his account of the Notre-Dame de Paris reconstruction project.

Portrait of Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas:

Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas has held several positions of responsibility, notably as rector of the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Lourdes since 2019. Prior to that, he served as secretary general and spokesperson for the French Bishops' Conference. He also served as emeritus titular canon of the Diocese of Paris and episcopal vicar to the Archbishop of Paris. In September 2022, he took up his role as rector-archpriest of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Upon taking up his duties as archpriest of Notre-Dame de Paris in September 2022, Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas immediately met with the workers on the cathedral's construction site. This significant encounter marked his very first days in the role.

Four years after the fire of 15 April 2019, which partially destroyed Notre-Dame de Paris, where does the restoration stand?

This is what Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas will share at our Club Delville event scheduled for 28 November, hosted by our transition management firm.

The structural stabilisation and consolidation works on the cathedral were completed in the summer of 2021. Once this critical phase was finished, the first stage of vault restoration began with the extraction of stone from a quarry in the Oise region.

• The great roof timber frame, destroyed by the fire, is being rebuilt in solid oak following the original medieval design. At the same time, the first roof trusses for the choir were raised in August 2021.

• The spire, which collapsed during the fire, will be restored to its original appearance following Viollet-le-Duc's 19th-century design. The cutting of the 1,000 oak trees required for its reconstruction is being completed across 45 sawmills throughout France.

• The great organ, damaged by soot and water, is currently being cleaned and restored in three organ-building workshops. Its 8,000 pipes and 19 wind chests will be reinstalled in the cathedral in 2023.

• Wall paintings, sculptures, stained glass windows and other interior decorative elements will also be restored by specialist craftspeople. Works are expected to be completed in 2024, ahead of a planned reopening on 8 December of the same year.

With the cathedral now fully secured, the major reconstruction works are under way, with the restoration of the spire as the centrepiece.

Club Delville under the patronage of Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas and Sylvie Bretones

Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, joined by Sylvie Bretones, General Delegate of the Fondation Notre Dame, will honour us with their presence. Together, they will share the latest progress on the historic Notre-Dame de Paris restoration project and the interior design projects presented this summer. They will also reflect on the global wave of solidarity sparked by the cathedral fire. Do not miss this rare and unique opportunity! As a committed transition management firm, we are proud to host the exceptional visit of Monseigneur Olivier Ribadeau Dumas.