Paris
Where Saint Louis brought the Crown of Thorns, with Notre-Dame, the chapel of the Miraculous Medal and the basilica of perpetual adoration
Paris begins with a martyr. Saint Denis, the city's first bishop, was beheaded on Montmartre about the year 250, and the hill took its name from the martyrs. Saint Geneviève kept Parisians from fleeing Attila in 451 and is still the patroness of the city. In 1239 Saint Louis carried the Crown of Thorns into Paris and built the Sainte-Chapelle to hold it, and Notre-Dame now shows the Crown every Friday. The 17th century gave Paris Saint Vincent de Paul and the saints of charity. In 1830 Our Lady appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré at the rue du Bac and gave her the Miraculous Medal. On Montmartre the Sacré-Cœur has kept Eucharistic adoration day and night since 1885. Notre-Dame burned on 15 April 2019 and reopened on 7 and 8 December 2024. Since a law of 1905 the State or the city owns most churches, and a Mass is a short walk from almost anywhere in the center.
Fly over Paris in 3DA tour of the city that holds the Crown of ThornsStart the tourTop sites
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The Saints of Paris
Saint Denis of ParisFirst bishop of Paris, beheaded with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius about the year 250 on Montmartre and buried where the Basilica of Saint-Denis stands. His feast on 9 October is a solemnity in Paris.
Saint GenevièvePatroness of Paris, who persuaded Parisians not to flee Attila in 451. Her shrine is at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, where a novena is kept each January.
Saint Louis IX of FranceKing who redeemed the Crown of Thorns, carried it into Paris in 1239 and built the Sainte-Chapelle to hold it. He founded the Quinze-Vingts hospital for the blind and died on crusade at Tunis in 1270.
Saint Thomas AquinasTaught as a master of theology at the University of Paris from 1256 to 1259 and again from 1268 to 1272, and defended the friars against the university's secular masters. A parish in the Faubourg Saint-Germain bears his name.
Saint Ignatius of LoyolaStudied in Paris from 1528. On 15 August 1534 he vowed poverty, chastity and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with six companions, among them Peter Faber and Francis Xavier, in the chapel of the Martyrium on Montmartre.
Saint Vincent de PaulFounder of the Congregation of the Mission and, with Louise de Marillac, of the Daughters of Charity. His body lies in a silver shrine on the rue de Sèvres and his heart at the rue du Bac. The church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in the 10th arrondissement stands on the grounds of Saint-Lazare, where he died.
Saint Louise de MarillacCo-founder with Vincent of the Daughters of Charity in 1633, the first women's community to work outside a cloister. She was first buried at Saint-Laurent, and her body now lies in the chapel at the rue du Bac.
Saint Catherine LabouréYoung Daughter of Charity to whom Our Lady appeared in the rue du Bac chapel in 1830 and gave the design of the Miraculous Medal. She was canonized in 1947, and her body lies in the chapel.
Blessed Frédéric OzanamLaw student and Sorbonne professor who founded the first Conference of Charity on 23 April 1833, the beginning of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. He was beatified at Notre-Dame in 1997 and is buried in the crypt of the Carmes.
Saint Madeleine-Sophie BaratFounder of the Society of the Sacred Heart, who opened a Paris house in 1820 and died in Paris in 1865. Her body rests in Saint-François-Xavier.
Saint Marie-Eugénie of JesusConverted after hearing Lacordaire preach at Notre-Dame in 1836, she founded the Religious of the Assumption in 1839. She was canonized in 2007, and her tomb is at the Auteuil motherhouse.
Saint Peter Julian EymardApostle of the Eucharist, who founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Paris in 1856. His body lies in the Corpus Christi chapel.
Saint Thérèse of LisieuxCame to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires on 4 November 1887 to give thanks for her healing and entrust her Carmel vocation to Mary. Two days later she consecrated herself to the Sacred Heart at Montmartre.
Saint Joan of ArcPrayed at Saint-Denys de la Chapelle on 7 September 1429 and was wounded the next day in the attack on the Porte Saint-Honoré. A basilica vowed in 1914 stands beside the church.
- Saint Charles de Foucauld
Returned to the faith in October 1886 in the confessional of Abbé Huvelin at Saint-Augustin. He was killed in the Sahara in 1916 and canonized in 2022.
- Saints Teresa of Saint Augustine and Companions, the Carmelite martyrs of Compiègne
Sixteen Carmelite nuns guillotined on 17 July 1794 who sang as they went to the scaffold. They are buried at Picpus and were canonized in December 2024.
- Saint Théophane Vénard
Missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society martyred in Vietnam, honored in the martyrs hall of the society's seminary.
Beyond the churches
Views, walks and the town between the churches.
The towers of Notre-Dame
The towers reopened on 20 September 2025 after the fire. The climb is 424 steps and takes about 50 minutes, and it passes the great bell Emmanuel, cast in 1686. The monuments service's site, read 29 October 2026, says the 16 euro ticket must be booked online for a set time, even for free entrants and Museum Pass holders, and there is no lift or toilet. Hours are 09:00 to 17:30 from 1 October to 31 March and 09:00 to 23:00 from 1 April to 30 September. The cathedral itself is free and separate.
Itineraries
See allIn Paris
1 day · 4 sitesA Friday with the Crown of Thorns in ParisMorning Mass, the Sainte-Chapelle, then the relic at Notre-Dame from 15:00
1 day · 4 sitesParis in Half a DayMass at Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle and Saint Geneviève's church, in about five hours
2 days · 6 sitesParis with Children: Two Days
2 days · 6 sitesParis with Limited Mobility: Two Days
2 days · 5 sitesThe Assumption Weekend in Paris 2027
2 days · 9 sitesThe Saints of Paris
2 days · 10 sitesTwo Days in Catholic Paris
3 days · 7 sitesChristmas in Paris 2026
3 days · 14 sitesThree Days in Catholic Paris
5 days · 23 sitesFive Days in Catholic Paris
8 days · 21 sitesHoly Week and Easter in Paris 2027
1 day · 5 sitesOne Day in Catholic Paris
Day trips from Paris
Collections
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6 sitesJoan of Arc: Paris, Reims and RouenWhere Saint Joan prayed, was crowned beside the king, and was burned
6 sitesThérèse and the Martin Family from Paris to LisieuxSaint Thérèse's Paris prayer and the Lisieux places of her family
4 sitesWhere the Saints of Paris LieThe churches that keep the city's own saints
4 sitesConverts and Conversions in ParisFour places where a conversion in Paris changed a life or a nation
7 sitesEastern Catholic Churches in ParisSeven Paris churches that pray in Byzantine, Syriac and Armenian rites
3 sitesJesuit ParisFrom the 1534 vow on Montmartre to the Jesuit church on the rue de Sèvres
6 sitesMarian ParisSix Paris churches devoted to Our Lady, from the cathedral to Ménilmontant
4 sitesThe Miraculous Medal Corner of ParisThe Rue du Bac chapel and three Catholic houses within a few minutes' walk
8 sitesMartyrs of Paris from 1792 to 1945Where Parisian Catholics were killed for the faith, from the Revolution to the camps
6 sitesSacred Music and Organs in ParisSix churches where the great Paris organs and chant are heard
5 sitesSaint Geneviève's ParisThe patroness of Paris, from her shrine to the places tradition ties to her
6 sitesSaint Louis and the Passion Relics in ParisThe king who brought the Crown of Thorns to Paris, and where it is now
10 sitesSaints' Bodies and Relics in ParisTen places in Paris where a saint's body or relics rest
5 sitesParis and the Foreign MissionsWhere missionaries for Asia and Africa were formed and honored
8 sitesHidden Gems of Paris: Churches Most Visitors MissEight quiet churches and chapels worth the detour, from the Byzantine rite to the Picpus martyrs
Featured Events
Good to know
You do not need to book for Mass. A separate line for people attending a service opens 20 minutes before each Mass, at the entrance opposite the Portal of the Last Judgment. Weekday Masses are at 08:00, noon and 18:00. On Saturday they are at 08:30, noon and 18:00, the last an anticipated Sunday Mass. On Sunday they are at 08:30, 10:00 (a Gregorian Mass, sung in Latin), 11:30 and 18:00. These times come from the cathedral's service schedule, read as an archived copy of 2 August 2026, because the live site was not reachable on 29 October 2026. Check notredamedeparis.fr the week you go.
Article · 7 minMass at Notre-Dame de ParisReadEntry is free every day. The free online time slot is optional. With one, entry is guaranteed during your slot, and without one you can still go in but may wait longer at busy times. The cathedral's pages, read as archived copies from summer 2026, say slots open one or two days ahead and are refreshed through the day. No third-party platform is authorized to sell entry, so do not pay for a skip-the-line ticket. A ticket for the towers does not include the cathedral interior, which is free but separate. Hours are 07:50 to 19:00 on weekdays, with Thursday open to 22:00, and 08:15 to 19:30 at weekends.
Article · 8 minVisiting Notre-Dame de ParisReadThe Crown of Thorns is shown in its reliquary every Friday from 15:00 to 18:30, a weekly display that began on 5 December 2025. On the first Friday of each month it is brought into the nave from 15:00 to 17:00 and you may approach to venerate it. The next first Fridays are 6 November and 4 December 2026. No reservation is needed, and a line for the Crown opens 20 minutes before. The cathedral usually publishes its Good Friday and Holy Week times in Lent. These details come from the cathedral's Crown of Thorns page, read as an archived copy of 4 August 2026.
Article · 7 minSee the Crown of Thorns at Notre-DameReadSaint Joseph's Church, at 50 avenue Hoche near the Arc de Triomphe, holds all its Masses in English. Its bulletin of 25 October 2026 gives 08:30 from Monday to Friday, 18:30 on Saturday, and 09:30, 11:00, 12:30 and 18:30 on Sunday, with confessions on Saturday from 17:00 to 18:15. The Irish chaplaincy has Mass in English every Sunday at 11:30 in the Chapelle Saint-Patrick, 5 rue des Irlandais, except in August, with confession before Mass. The American Cathedral is Episcopal, so it does not fulfill the Sunday obligation. Notre-Dame's schedule lists no English Mass.
Article · 6 minMass and Confession in English in ParisReadYes, for the faith story as much as the glass. Saint Louis built it in 1248 to hold the Crown of Thorns, and its upper chapel is walled with 13th-century stained glass. The monument's own site, read 29 October 2026, says a time slot is compulsory for everyone, including Museum Pass holders. Tickets are 22 euros, or 16 euros for residents of the European Economic Area, and 30 or 23 euros with the Conciergerie. Hours are 09:00 to 17:00 until 31 March. There is airport-style security and no cloakroom.
Article · 8 minIs the Sainte-Chapelle Worth It? Tickets and TimingReadThe chapel is at 140 rue du Bac, by the Sèvres-Babylone Métro stop. Its own site, read 29 October 2026, gives opening times of 07:45 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00. On Tuesday, the Marian day, check that day's table. Mass is at 08:00 and 10:30 from Monday to Saturday, with a third at 12:30 except on Tuesday and a vigil Mass at 17:00 on Saturday. On Sunday it is at 08:00, 10:00 and 11:30. The body of Saint Catherine Labouré lies in the chapel, and medals are sold at the sisters' counter every day.
Article · 9 minThe Miraculous Medal Chapel at Rue du BacReadYes. The basilica's page, read 29 October 2026, says to book at least 24 hours ahead by telephone at +33 1 53 41 89 00 between 09:00 and 18:00, and that no confirmation means no booking. Arrive between 20:30 and 21:30 and leave by 09:00. A dormitory place is 15 euros, a single room is 40 or 45 euros, and breakfast is free for those who keep the night. Each guest keeps an hour or more of adoration during the night. Friday and Saturday nights are usually full, and Monday to Wednesday nights often need more people.
Article · 7 minA Night of Adoration at Sacré-CœurReadNotre-Dame has a Gregorian Mass on Sunday at 10:00, Vespers at 17:15 on Sunday and 17:30 on weekdays, and a free organ recital on Sunday at 16:00. Concerts on Tuesday at 20:30 are booked through Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame. At the Sacré-Cœur the Benedictine sisters sing Lauds at 08:00, Vespers at 18:00 (16:00 on Sunday) and Compline at 21:30, but the main organ is under restoration until the end of May 2027. Saint-Louis-d'Antin has a Gregorian Mass on Sunday at 10:30. Concert series in the Sainte-Chapelle and other churches are ticketed shows run by outside promoters, not parish liturgy.
Article · 7 minWhere to Hear Chant and Organ Music in ParisReadYes. Regional trains to Chartres leave from Gare Montparnasse and take about an hour, and the cathedral is a short walk uphill from the station. The cathedral's site, read 29 October 2026, says it is free and open every day from 08:30 to 19:30. The labyrinth in the nave can be walked on Fridays from 10:30 to 16:45 between Lent and All Saints. The 2026 season ends on 30 October and the labyrinth reopens in Lent 2027. Weekday Masses are at 11:45 and 18:15. The crypt is kept for prayer and pilgrim visits.
Article · 8 minChartres: the Veil of the Virgin and the LabyrinthReadThree days suit a first Catholic visit. They cover Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Left Bank, the rue du Bac and the Sacré-Cœur at a walking pace. One day holds the essentials if you start early and keep to two clusters of sites, and four or five days add Saint-Denis and a day trip such as Chartres, Lisieux or Reims. Pilgrim groups often give Paris only one to three nights. Thursday to Saturday is the best window, because Notre-Dame is open until 22:00 on Thursday and shows the Crown of Thorns on Friday afternoon.
Article · 7 minHow Many Days Do You Need in Paris?ReadFrom Charles de Gaulle the RER B train runs to central Paris, including Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame for the cathedral. The Paris Region to airports ticket costs 14 euros on the regional transport authority's 2026 fares page, read 29 October 2026, and it also covers Orlyval. From Orly, Métro line 14 runs to central Paris. Official taxi flat fares, published on 16 January 2026, are 56 euros from Charles de Gaulle to the Right Bank and 65 euros to the Left Bank, and 45 and 36 euros from Orly. Check for strike notices the evening before you travel.
Article · 8 minGetting From the Airport to ParisReadOn the regional transport authority's 2026 fares page, read 29 October 2026, a single Métro, train and RER ticket costs 2.55 euros and a single bus or tram ticket 2.05 euros. The weekly Navigo pass (Navigo Semaine) for all zones is 32.40 euros. A Paris Visite tourist pass for all zones is 30.60 euros for one day and 63.80 euros for three days. Tickets can be loaded on a phone or a rechargeable Navigo Easy card. Much of the pilgrim city is a walk from Notre-Dame, and Saint-Sulpice is about 18 minutes away.
Article · 8 minGetting Around Paris by Métro, RER and on FootReadThe pass costs 85 euros for 2 days, 105 euros for 4 days and 125 euros for 6 days on its official site, read 29 October 2026, and the days run as consecutive hours from your first visit. It covers the Sainte-Chapelle and the Notre-Dame towers, but you must still book a time slot at each. It gives free entry to the royal necropolis at Saint-Denis. Notre-Dame's nave and the parish churches are free anyway. The pass site also warns that some sites may close on Thursday 5 November 2026 because of a national strike.
Article · 9 minBooking Tickets and the Paris Museum PassReadNotre-Dame asks for covered shoulders, torso, stomach and thighs, no transparent or tight clothing, hats off for men and no phone calls. Suitcases and large bags are not allowed, and there is a security check at the door. At the Sacré-Cœur you should dress appropriately and stay quiet, and photographs are not allowed in the nave but are allowed in the side aisles. The rue du Bac chapel asks for silence. Carry a small bag and no knife, even a penknife, because the Sainte-Chapelle confiscates sharp objects.
Article · 6 minChurch Etiquette and Dress in ParisReadCatholic stays
Paris has a handful of religious guesthouses that take visitors. The best known is the guesthouse of the Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, whose guests join the prayer of the basilica and can book a night of adoration. On the Left Bank the Vincentian motherhouse on the rue de Sèvres has rooms beside the chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul. The Assumption sisters' guesthouse in Auteuil stands beside the tomb of Saint Marie-Eugénie. Most houses take bookings by email or telephone and keep set hours for arrival.
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de MontmartreMinor basilica on the Hill of the Martyrs in Paris, built as France's national act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, housing perpetual Eucharistic Adoration uninterrupted since 1885.
Chapelle Saint-Vincent-de-Paul de la Maison-Mère de la Congrégation de la MissionChapel housing the body of Saint Vincent de Paul above the high altar, together with the tombs of two canonized Vincentian martyrs of China.- Chapelle du Christ-MédiateurMotherhouse chapel of the Religious of the Assumption in Paris, housing the tomb of Saint Marie-Eugénie de Jésus, foundress and canonized saint, built in Brutalist concrete with abstract stained glass by Max Ingrand.
Article · The full guide to every stay · 7 min readStaying in a Convent or Religious Guesthouse in ParisWhich religious houses take visitors, which only take Church people, and how to book a night at Sacré-CœurRead the guideArticles
See all- Mass and sacramentsA Night of Adoration at Sacré-Cœur7 min read
- PlanningBooking Tickets and the Paris Museum Pass9 min read
- Chartres: the Veil of the Virgin and the Labyrinth8 min read
Feasts and seasonsChristmas in Paris: Midnight Mass, Lights and What Is Open7 min read- PracticalChurch Etiquette and Dress in Paris6 min read
PlanningEating, Views and Evenings in Paris8 min read
Feasts and seasonsFeast Days and Public Holidays in Paris7 min read
PracticalFinding a Parish Community in Paris6 min read- Getting aroundGetting Around Paris by Métro, RER and on Foot8 min read
Getting From Paris to Lourdes8 min read- Getting aroundGetting From the Airport to Paris8 min read
PracticalGuides and Walking Tours in Paris6 min read
Feasts and seasonsHoly Week and Easter in Paris8 min read- PlanningHow Many Days Do You Need in Paris?7 min read
Is Paris Safe? Pickpockets, Scams and Strikes6 min read- Visiting sitesIs the Sainte-Chapelle Worth It? Tickets and Timing8 min read
Mass and sacramentsLatin Mass and Eastern Catholic Liturgies in Paris7 min read
Lisieux: the Town of Saint Thérèse8 min read
Getting aroundLuggage and Trains Out of Paris7 min read- Mass and sacramentsMass and Confession in English in Paris6 min read
- Mass and sacramentsMass at Notre-Dame de Paris7 min read
PlanningMoney, Tipping, Phones and Costs in Paris7 min read
Mont-Saint-Michel: Vespers and Lauds8 min read
Visiting sitesNotre-Dame Towers and Treasury8 min read
PlanningOfficial Websites and Offices for Pilgrims in Paris6 min read
PracticalParis with Children or Limited Mobility8 min read
Reims: Saint Remi and the Coronations7 min read
Religious Shopping in Paris6 min read
Rouen: Joan of Arc's Trial and Death7 min read
Visiting sitesSaint Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac in Paris7 min read- Visiting sitesSee the Crown of Thorns at Notre-Dame7 min read
- StayingStaying in a Convent or Religious Guesthouse in Paris7 min read
PlanningStrikes and What Is Open in Paris8 min read
PracticalSunday Mass and Church Opening Hours in Paris8 min read
Visiting sitesThe Best Churches in Paris Beyond Notre-Dame10 min read
PlanningThe Best Time to Visit Paris8 min read
The Camino from Paris: the Via Turonensis5 min read- Visiting sitesThe Miraculous Medal Chapel at Rue du Bac9 min read
The Pentecost Pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres7 min read
Visiting sitesThe Saints' Bodies and Relics of Paris8 min read
Versailles and Other Day Trips From Paris8 min read- Visiting sitesVisiting Notre-Dame de Paris8 min read
Visiting sitesVisiting Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre9 min read
Visiting the Basilica of Saint-Denis7 min read
Visiting sitesVisiting the Paris Catacombs6 min read
PlanningWhat to Wear and Pack in Paris6 min read- Feasts and seasonsWhere to Hear Chant and Organ Music in Paris7 min read
PlanningWhere to Stay in Paris for a Pilgrimage7 min read
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