“I can only guess how many movies have been made about New York City at Christmas time. It is a magical season with the lights and sounds of Christmas. People are in a festive mood, smiles abound, good will and holiday cheer are the order of the day. The Cathedral of St. Patrick is in the very heart of the New York’s celebration of Christmas. We stand up for the most important part of the season — the reason for the season — the birth of the Christ child. In no ambiguous terms, we show that all the excitement is there because God became man and dwelt among us. He is still here and will always be present in our world.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral welcomes tens of thousands at this special time. From the farthest corners of the world, visitors join the parishioners of St. Patrick’s in proclaiming the beautiful truth of God’s most wonderful gift to us, His only Son.” from Reverend Monsignor Robert T. Ritchie.
I discovered that the real magic of New York is the geography. It’s no longer an American or European city, at least Manhattan is not. It’s an Asian city. It’s built up instead of out. And so everything is next to everything else. This is the BIG city, but it’s smaller than you think. I walked today from Penn Station to Times Square and then from Times Square to Rockefeller Plaza and then to the Museum of Modern Art. These are all gigantic landmarks. You’ve seen at least a half-dozen television shows or movies set at these locations. And each one just appeared after another, like lillipads in a beautiful pond. My little stroll in the city ended at the most beautiful scene…St. Patrick’s Cathedral at Christmastime. Amid all the hustle and bustle, here was this oasis of God, somberly quiet and lit mostly by candlelight. In fact, I lit a candle today for a friend’s father and remembered that God is everywhere, even in the Big City.
