SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Just days before the iconic structure was seriously damaged by a catastrophic fire, the Santa Monica High School Choir sang inside Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.

The space by the altar where they stood and sang days ago now looks very different after fire ravaged major parts of the historic building. One 11th grader named Maya Lauer recalled what it was like to sing inside such a sacred space.

"It was magical. The fact that we got to sing in one of the most spiritually sacred and most famed cathedrals in all of the world was just amazing," said Lauer.

Her choir was on a special trip where they had the opportunity to sing at different cathedrals around Europe. One word Lauer used repeatedly to describe the trip was "privilege." She knows it was a great privilege to be allowed to sing inside a building like Notre Dame.

"People would walk in because they heard us. I was getting emotional," said Lauer.

The choir was actually in midair when the fire broke out. Lauer says as soon as they landed at LAX on Monday their phones were flooded with breaking news alerts that they simply could not believe.

"[We were like] what? It can’t be true. We were all really surprised and in shock really, because we had just been there," Lauer said.

Lauer and her friends are still texting about being among the last few people to be inside the cathedral before the devastating fire struck.

"It was surreal. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing," said Lauer.

She has a strong connection to Paris. She went last summer with her family to visit Notre Dame and her grandmother even lived there and bequeathed the family a painting of the cathedral.

"I can’t imagine our country losing something like that. It’s just so old and majestic there are just no words," said Lauer.

She wants to thank the people of Paris for welcoming her and the Santa Monica High choir into their city and into their cathedral.

"It’s something that we will remember forever honestly," Lauer said.

Lauer hopes the rebuilding of Notre Dame will bring hope to Paris and the world.