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PARIS (AP) — Four months after its long-awaited reopening, Notre Dame Cathedral welcomed worshippers and tourists alike on Friday for an emotional Easter ceremony centered on the Crown of Thorns, a circular band of branches encased in a golden tube and one of Christianity’s most revered relics.

The ritual, held during Holy Week, included liturgical chants, candlelight, and a solemn procession of clerics carrying the Crown of Thorns through the alleys of the cathedral.

Tourists queued in a line that stretched across the Seine, waiting to enter the renovated Gothic landmark. Inside, ushers struggled to gently enforce a separation between curious visitors and the faithful.

Notre Dame’s rector, Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, said this week’s crowda exceeded expectations.

“ Before the fire, we saw about 20,000 pilgrims a day,” he said. “Now it’s closer to 30,000. The joy people feel rediscovering the cathedral — you can see it on their faces as they leave.”