Faithful flock to St. Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate Christmas
NEW YORK - It's Christmas Day and the first night Hanukkah, the first time the two have happened on the same day since 2005.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan greeted the faithful at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Several Christmas Masses were being celebrated throughout Christmas, including one shared by livestream. The faithful also gathered for the traditional Midnight Mass.
"There's no place like home for the holidays," Dolan said during a Christmas Day Mass. "We are bonded by a faith. A faith that the baby whose birth we celebrate this Christmas happens to be the savior of the world."
The pews were filled for the annual Christmas tradition celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Midnight Mass was a ticketed event. Other public Masses were standing room only.
"No surprise, we admit it. We find ourselves in darkness. Our world, our country, our city, within our families, within ourselves. So no wonder with the darkness around us, no wonder we so exuberantly celebrate the birth of Jesus," Dolan said.
The nearly cathedral, which opened in 1879, was filled with music.
Dolan also delivered a message of hope.
"Because we have a God whose first word to us was 'Let there be light.' And we celebrate tonight the birth of the one who assured us 'I am the light of the world,'" Dolan said.
Parishioners traveled from near and far to attend.
"Sometimes we need to come back home and get rejuvenated. It was beautiful. It was emotional. I got chills. I was really happy he was finally able to receive communion in a place he was baptized," Glenda Esperance said.
"It's inspiring," Marie Corcoran said.
"Every year we come to see the tree, and then we come to Mass before we can wrap the gifts," one woman from Washington, D.C. said.
"This Cathedral is magnificent, and we wanted to experience that," Yvette Fields said.
"Being with your family and loved ones, that's the true meaning of Christmas, and that's why I'm here with my family as well," Andrew Oster said.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis delivered his Christmas Day message and blessing at the Vatican. He also kicked off a once-in-a-quarter-century holy year, known as a Jubilee, which is expected to draw millions of pilgrims to Rome.
Hundreds also gathered for Midnight Mass in Bethlehem, marking a somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza. And worshipers in Paris gathered for the first Midnight Mass held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame since a devastating fire in 2019.
What's more, Wednesday is also the first night of Hanukkah, which celebrates an ancient miracle when a single night's worth of oil lasted eight nights. There are two menorahs in New York City which claim to be the world's largest - one of them is in Midtown, and the other is in Grand Army Plaza. They'll both be lit Wednesday night at sundown. An additional candle will be added for each night of the holiday.
