The priest was also the fire brigade Chaplin and a veteran.
Via Fox News:
A French priest has been hailed a hero for saving the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns from Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral during the blaze on Monday – but the fate of other precious treasures remains unknown.
The cathedral caught on fire Monday late afternoon amid renovations, threatening to destroy one of the greatest architectural landmarks in the Western world.
Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet said the church’s structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the northern belfry. The fire is being treated as an accident, with the Paris prosecutors’ office ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives.
Many people remain concerned about the possible permanent damage caused to the treasures inside the cathedral, including an iconic statue known as Notre Dame de Paris depicting the Virgin Mary and Jesus; and the Statue of St. Dennis.
The fate of the 17th-century portrait of St. Thomas Aquinas at the fountain of wisdom and the 1716 “Visitation” painting remain unclear.