We Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral In New York
Being surrounded by huge skyscrapers, it seems smaller. However, New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest Neo-Gothic temple in all of North America. Its highest point is just over 100 meters high, which creates the feeling that it is an imposing building.
Where is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is located in the heart of Manhattan, specifically on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets. A special location for many reasons.
Opposite the Catholic temple is Rockefeller Center. A spectacular complex of 19 buildings that seems to want to dwarf the cathedral. And it is that, in addition to occupying more surface, these skyscrapers double the height of the temple, since they have 70 floors and reach 266 meters.
A little history
The cathedral was built a century and a half ago. Today, it is the heart of Catholicism in the United States. And it is also one more tourist attraction in New York.
At the beginning of the 19th century, on the site of St. Patrick’s Cathedral today, the Jesuits wanted to build a school for young Catholics. The project did not go ahead, and after passing the site through the hands of a Frenchman, the diocese of New York decided to build the temple.
Construction work on the cathedral began in 1858. However, the civil war forced the work to stop. Thus, the temple could not be completed until 1879.
What to see in St. Patrick’s Cathedral
The first thing you should admire about St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York is its beautiful neo-Gothic exterior. It stands out for its white marble coating. But the most characteristic are its two towers, which exceed 100 meters.
Regarding the interior, the altars stand out. The one of San Juan Bautista de la Salle and the one of Santa Isabel will remind you of those of other great Catholic churches in Europe. And look at the altar of San Luis and San Miguel, which has undergone several phases of restoration in the 20th century.
Another part that will surely catch your eye are the stained glass windows. The large windows were designed by artists from Boston and also from Europe. As for the jewel of these works, the great rose window, stands in the temple to give light to its entire interior.
And if you are a music lover, you will love its great organs. One is installed next to the choir and has almost 4000 pipes. The other is in the Grand Gallery and has 5918 tubes. Its heavenly music accompanies the masses that are celebrated in this great Catholic temple.
As for the sculptures, the most photographed is that of La Piedad. It is a copy of the one you can find in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, made by Michelangelo, although the one in St. Patrick’s Cathedral is three times the size.
When to visit this temple
You may be wondering what is the best time of year to visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. As you can imagine, it is always going to be very busy. Whatever time you go, you have to know that there are going to be hundreds of people who visit the cathedral on the same day as you.
Since there are always going to be crowds, we recommend that you visit the cathedral at Christmas, the time when it is most beautiful. There will be more people than normal, but you will see that it is worth it.
Not only because of the religious temple. Rather because of the area in which it is located. A large Christmas tree is installed next to Rockefeller Center at this time. And what better way to get to know the cathedral than with that Christmas spirit that is breathed every year in New York.
