Columbus Day Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Monday, October 13, 2008
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 50th St. and Fifth Ave.
9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
(please note: doors open at 9:30 a.m.)

The Annual Solemn Columbus Day Mass, celebrated by Edward Cardinal Egan, 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.

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 includes performances by exceptional musicians including, in recent years, tenor Salvatore Licitra, who performs with the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Children’s Choir of Palermo, Sicily.