Worshipers Pack Into St. Patrick's Cathedral For Christmas Eve Mass
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hundreds of worshipers packed into St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown, Manhattan for Christmas Eve Mass.
Some were international tourists, some were native New Yorkers and some traveled in from the Tri-State Area, CBS2's Jessica Borg reported. The famed church draws worshipers from around the world.
Many said there was no place they'd rather be to celebrate Mass on the holy night.
"Christmas is a day to celebrate Jesus' birth, so it's very important to come to Mass around this time, especially in New York City because it's such a beautiful time of year to be here," Olivia Anderson, of Old Bethpage on Long Island, said.
"Every year we come. We light candles for our grandparents and people that have passed away," Meghan Schule, of Lynbrook, said. "My dad's a retired fireman but he was at 9/11, so he always comes and lights candles for them and their families and everything like that. So we always make it a point to come. It's like a tradition."
The Biarans were visiting from the Netherlands. This was the second trip they've made to attend Christmas Eve Mass.
"It's very special because I think here the atmosphere and the music is very, very nice. I love it," Wilma Biarans said.
For Flushing, Queens resident Merlene Groom, Christmas Eve Mass is a must.
"By coming to this Mass, this is how I became a Catholic," she said.
For others, it was a new experience.
"This is my first time ever being here. I just came up from Elmira," one person said.
Earlier in the day, Trinity Church, an historic Episcopal church in Lower Manhattan, held a festive procession with whimsical creations like eight foot tall puppets. Congregants spent weeks preparing for the procession.
Meanwhile, the NYPD stepped up patrols at New York City churches after ISIS called for attacks targeting places of worship and other holiday gathering sites over the weekend.
An early Mass was held at 5:30 p.m., followed by a midnight Mass led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.