Virgin Mary statue returns to Notre Dame Cathedral five years after fire

Paris archbishop Laurent Ulrich, centre, conducts a blessing ceremony next to the original Virgin Mary statue, right, which did not suffer from the 2019 fire, before its return to Notre Dame Cathedral Picture: Louise Delmotte/AP

A medieval statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, known as The Virgin of Paris, has returned to Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after surviving the devastating 2019 fire that engulfed the landmark.

The nearly 6ft-tall stone sculpture, a symbol of hope and faith for Catholics in Paris and beyond, was relocated after the blaze on April 15 2019.