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.