Minnesotans mourn fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral

MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - After the Notre-Dame Cathedral’s iconic spire went down in Monday's fire, prayers from inside the Cathedral of St. Paul went up.

“Watching the steeple come down, it brought me to tears,” said Nancy Johnson.

The destruction devastates Nancy and Craig Johnson, who recently called Paris home.

“We were there three years and, of course, when we had visitors, that was one of the places we would take them to,” said Nancy.

“I can feel it in my heart, it’s a shame to lose so much history,” said Craig Johnson. 

Although the massive landmark transcends religion and culture, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame is a symbol of Christianity in France and around the world.

Shocking the globe, the flames ripped through the centuries old Cathedral in the heart of Paris on Holy Week.

“It puts a shocking image to what we’ve already been going through,” said Father Kevin Manthey of Hill-Murray Catholic School.

After studying in Paris, Father Manthey considers Notre-Dame a part of his spiritual home.

“It’s an irreplaceable monument,” said Father Manthey. “It’s part of our cultural heritage, especially to Paris, to France.”

It’s why people worldwide, religious or not, are mourning this colossal loss.

“It’s much more than a building,” said Nancy Johnson. “It’s the heart and soul of our church.”

A firefighter was injured in the fire. No one was killed. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation. 

The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis will hold a special noon mass Tuesday to pray and share a message with the people of Paris. The community is invited to write a message in a book that will later be sent to the Archbishop of Paris.