Notre Dame Cathedral to hold first mass since devastating fire

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will hold a small mass on Saturday evening, the first to take place at the church since the April fire that destroyed parts of the iconic landmark. 

The mass will include about 20 people and all attendees will be required to wear hard hats due to safety concerns, according to the Catholic News Agency.

The Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit will lead the mass, ABC News reported. The gathering will be televised live on June 15. It will celebrate the consecration of the cathedral’s altar, which is normally celebrated on June 16.

As donations poured in from the international community, experts estimate that total restoration costs for the 850-year-old landmark could exceed $1 billion and could take 10 to 15 years of work.

Billionaires didn't fund the rebuilding:Small donors from the France and the U.S. did

It took more than 400 firefighters to extinguish the April 15 blaze that collapsed the building’s iconic spire and destroyed parts of its roof and vault.

International leaders immediately began showing solidarity with Paris, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who wore a hard hat for a visit inside the Gothic church in May.

Contributing: Joel Shannon, Nicholas Wu, James R. Carroll; The Associated Press