Celebrating his first anniversary as the first Hispanic Rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Nicaraguan priest Father Enrique Salvo reported that New York City’s main religious center has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors during the month of December. Father Salvo noted that this figure corresponds to the number of visitors during the pre-pandemic season and attributed the increase in the number of visitors to some Christmas initiatives, including the special illumination of the exterior of the Cathedral, a project that is being carried out for the first time in 164 years of St. Patrick’s history.
“2022 has been the year of New York City’s resurgence of tourism, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, as a landmark and iconic site, wishes to do its part for the city by being ready with open doors to welcome believers, non-believers, and people of all creeds to visit and discover this marvel of neo-Gothic architecture that stands majestically on New York’s Fifth Avenue,” the priest said.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest neo-Gothic church, not only in New York City, but in all North America, and it is recognized as an architectural landmark worldwide. This year, for the first time since its founding in 1858, the Cathedral has illuminated its exterior by installing Christmas lights, seeking to attract tourists, locals, and people of all cultures and religions. “It is important to highlight that the illumination installed at this moment is something temporary that gives an idea of what it would be permanently,” assured Father Enrique Salvo. “It is expected to become something permanent, as with the great churches in Europe, where every single detail is illuminated,” he pointed out.
A few days before Christmas, Father Salvo invites the Hispanic community, locals, and visitors to attend the upcoming events scheduled by the Cathedral for celebrating the season: “On December 24, a Mass in English for children will be celebrated at 5:30 pm, and on the 25th we will have a full schedule of Masses, including a Mass in Spanish at 4:00 pm, for all those families who wish to join us.” He added: “St. Patrick’s is a special space for all immigrants and tourists to visit not only for prayer, but also to enjoy the decorations and lights that, for the first time, are on to beautify our facade in the best style of European cathedrals.”
Every year, on December 24, St. Patrick’s Cathedral hosts thousands of parishioners who attend the traditional Midnight Mass, also known as Misa de Gallo. Father Salvo said that for this season’s Misa de Gallo, more than 20,000 people applied for tickets, which are free to the public. “Unfortunately, we no longer have tickets available for the Midnight Mass on December 24 with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, but that will not be a limitation for the community to join us, as the Mass will be broadcast on television on WPIX, broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM, as well as transmitted live via streaming,” he explained.
The Archdiocese of New York encourages its parishioners to celebrate Christmas and join in the local festivities at its nearly 300 parishes throughout the archdiocese. Those people wishing to follow the Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on December 24, can join us from home by visiting the following link: www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/live.