The Annual Columbus Day Mass is held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Mass reflects on the millions of men, women, and children who came to America in pursuit of freedom and opportunity, and the faith that helped them endure hardship and adversity. The Mass is celebrated at 9:30am on Monday, Columbus Day. Tickets are required to enter the Cathedral up until 9:15am, at which point it becomes general admission.
Instantly recognizable for its soaring twin spires, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a New York institution celebrated by people of all faiths and creeds. Since its cornerstone was laid in 1858, St. Patrick’s has become a centerpiece of New York City, though it was originally considered too far north of New York’s commercial and residential districts!
Beyond its architectural splendor, the cathedral features stained glass windows made by artists in Chartres, Birmingham, and Boston. Its great rose window is by Charles Connick, perhaps the greatest stained-glass artist in America. The cathedral’s St. Michael and St. Louis altars were designed by Tiffany & Co. and its St. Elizabeth altar by Paolo Medici of Rome.
The Columbus Day Mass has included performances by Venetian opera singers Erica Grimaldi, Soprano and Carlo Gabriele Nicolini, Tenor, in addition to performances by exceptional musicians such as tenor Salvatore Licitra, who performs with the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Children’s Choir of Palermo, Sicily.