St. Patrick's Cathedral

Ash Wednesday mass is my favorite mass of the year. I like walking around with ashes on my forehead and I love the song "Ashes" and I love the idea of new beginnings. This year though, I had to miss mass. I actually gave myself dispensation from this entire Lenten season. I just thought, I'm already sacrificing and learning new things enough as it is I can't throw the whole Catholic guilt season in the mix. I couldn't even find a church to get ashes I guess I could have asked the concierge in the hotel lobby I was living in though. Hmm. Anyway, I skipped it! That being said, it's time to start making up for it.

Today, I went to mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral which is in the middle of 5th Avenue, right across the street from Rockefeller Center. It amazes me that in the middle of all the craziness of the city there is this giant sanctuary that opens it's doors to thousands of tourists each days and still maintains a normal mass schedule. Inside the cathedral, there is the regular space where mass is held. It holds 4,000 people and that is exactly the number of people that showed up for the ticketed Easter Mass this year. Surrounding the pews are different alters for many of the saints.

People from all different nations come and light candles for their loved ones daily and say their prayers kneeling at the foot of their favorite saints statues. If you keep walking towards the main alter, the pews on your left and the Saints on your right, the path will take you behind the ornate alter to another chapel large enough to hold at least 100 participants -- it's the chapel of the tabernacle. St. Patrick's Cathedral has enough space for 100 people to celebrate mass in front of the tabernacle. This place cannot be described with words. It's amazing.

St. Patrick's Cathedral opened it's doors May 25, 1879 and in the past 132 years, New York has evolved all around this building. It's very fascinating to know that St. Patrick's Cathedral operates completely on donations from visitors and parishioners. To learn more, visit http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/150.html.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed in the mass I attended, the acoustics were terrible. It was difficult to hear what anyone was saying but the surroundings were enough for me to get lost in my own world.

I apologize, this picture is a terrible representation of the Cathedral.
I'm between cameras.

Look over there, I think that's the prison no one can escape from because it's an island ...

There is an entire website devoted to conversations and phrases overheard on the streets of New York. Unfortunately, this one I didn’t read about this experience on there, I lived it.

Spring in New York is a little touch and go. One day you think it’s here and the next is quickly grabbed from your kung fu grip. Today was one of those days though that was deceiving, it was warm outside of my apartment, standing still waiting for the bus, I was over flowing with joy at the pleasantness of the weather I decided it was the perfect day to take the Staten Island ferry across the New York Harbor.

I’d heard it was quite a treat to get out there on the water – most people ride the ferry to Staten Island and turn around and come right back to Manhattan. Not me, I was up for adventure. I should fill everyone in though, I don’t do adventure, adventure usually does Stephanie. I don’t think I’ve ever had one adventure go successfully. There was a road trip to Florida where we had to replace a door jamb to our rented condo, a trip to Miami where we needed a hat, scarf and gloves to go to the beach, a quick trip to the New Jersey Target that lasted 6.5 hours, a trip to P.C. Richards to pick up a TV purchased on line that resulted in visits to 4 other stores in pursuit of a cable for the HD cable – this was in avoidance of the actual adventure I was planning – while I could keep going, I think you get the point.

At the South Ferry terminal I looked around for a booth or a rack of brochures for Staten Island attractions. There weren’t any. For many, this would tell them there aren’t attractions but I was determined to get a glimpse of something amazing!

Once on the Ferry, a giant orange people mover, I first tried to determine which side would offer the best view, once I settled on a side I fought to get near an open window so I could feel the refreshing spring breeze on my face – accomplished. Behind me stood 2 gentlemen travelers, one appeared to live in New York, the other was clearly visiting. With our ride underway, I listened to the conversations around me, the 2 men behind me offered the most enticing ear candy. Visitor had just purchased his jazzy orange camera for the trip, he was so excited to use it, from what I gathered, he was really hoping there would be some great opportunities on this ferry ride.

As I enjoyed the scenery, I noticed we were coming upon Lady Liberty, as she is affectionately known to New Yorkers and Ellis Island – personally, this made me remember the Titanic and my first visit to New York, the summer before my junior year of high school and also one month before 9/11. For the savvy and well educated traveler behind me, it registered absolutely no memories at all which became evident to me as he jumped at the chance to get a photo of the 26.5 acre island he looked back to his friend and said, “Look that’s the prison no one can escape from because it’s an island.” If Lady Liberty could, I think she would have leaned down and slapped our genius right back to Chelsea where he belongs – she is too much of a lady for that behavior though and besides, the punishment he receives when he gets home and posts those pictures on his facebook in a less than cleverly titled album and captions it with, “Inescapable prison surrounded by water” , will be plenty for all of us. Someone in his circle must know the truth, I hope.

Once we docked in Staten island, I lost track of our New York tour guide because I escaped the terminal in pursuit of the sights! I walked up a hill, got hit on by a grandpa who asked me if I would like to have sex with him. After declining his rather enticing offer, he forgot he asked me and went a head and inquired a second time. Luckily, his daughter how had an accent similar to Rosie O’Donnell’s came and saved me. I continued to search but turned up with nothing except for Karl’s Klipper. Done. I popped in, sat down at the bar where I was greeted by Astrid, a Staten Island native.

Astrid and I quickly became friends – she began buying me bud lights which encouraged me to stay longer than expected, by the time I got in line for returning ferry to Manhattan it was 9pm and all the real gems of the island were dressed in their finest and ready to hit up the Manhattan night life. I must say, the beer at Karl’s Klipper was cold and the bar b cue hamburger I had was delicious. I even saw a car accident while I was there. I did not run in to any of the stars from MTV’s “True Life: I’m from Staten Island” but I did have high hopes and unfortunately, escaped without hearing someone yell in a Staten Island accent. Astrid was a trained actress and therefore, avoided the use of her accent. There’s always next time.