The priest who saved the Blessed Sacrament in the Notre-Dame de Paris fire

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On 17 April Fr John Zuhlsdorf posted on Fr.Z's Blog a video interview with Fr Jean-Marc Fournier, a chaplain to the firefighters of Paris. Fr Fournier told of how he rescued the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament. Fr Zuhlsdorf translated what Fr Fournier said in French.

Here is an extract, with my emphasis added.

Everybody understands that the Crown of Thorns is an absolutely unique and extraordinary relic, but the Blessed Sacrament is Our Lord, really present in his body, soul, divinity and humanity and you understand that it is hard to see someone you love perish in the blaze. As firefighters we often see casualties from fire and we know its effects, this is why I sought to preserve above all the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr Fournier was telling clearly what the Church has always taught: in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by the power of the Holy Spirit acting through the priest, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of the Risen Lord. 

John Lambert R. Minimo

This story reminded me of an article I edited and published in the July-August 2016 issue of MISYONonline.com, the Columban magazine in the Philippines of which I was editor from 2002 until 2017, Saving the Blessed Sacrament. This was written by a graduating student in the University of the East, Manila, John Lambert R. Minimo, when a fire destroyed the university chapel.

First Holy Communion in Croatia [Wikipedia]

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