St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan district. It serves as both a parish church and the seat of the Archbishop of New York. The cathedral is right across from Rockefeller Center, on a city block surrounded by Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, 50th Street, and 51st Street. It is the biggest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America, designed by James Renwick Jr.
The cathedral was built in 1858 to meet the Archdiocese of New York’s rising population and replace St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. The cathedral was finished in 1878 and consecrated on May 25, 1879, after work was suspended in the early 1860s due to the American Civil War. James Renwick Jr. erected the archbishop’s home, and rectory in the early 1880s, and the spires were added in 1888. From 1901 to 1906, a Lady chapel designed by Charles T. Mathews was built. After all of the cathedral’s debts were paid off, it was dedicated on October 5, 1910. The cathedral has undergone extensive restorations, notably in the 1940s, 1970s, and 2010.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is marble-clad and includes several stained-glass windows. It is 332 feet (101 meters) long and 174 feet (53 meters) wide at the transepts. Towers flank the cathedral’s main entrance on Fifth Avenue with spires that reach 329.5 feet (100 m). There are nineteen bells in the northern tower and two pipe organs in the interior. Multiple chapels flank a nave on the inside and two transepts, a chancel and apse, and a crypt. The rectory, Lady chapel, and archbishop’s home are east of the apse, facing Madison Avenue. The cathedral has been classified as a New York City landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan has been the archbishop of St. Patrick’s Cathedral since 2009, and he will retire in 2021. Enrique Salvo has been the cathedral’s rector since November 2021. The master of ceremonies is Rev. Andrew King. The staff includes Rev. Donald Haggerty, Rev. Arthur Golino, and Rev. Ed Dougherty. Cardinal Dolan’s Priest Secretary is Rev. Stephen Ries. A fantastic read here.
Jennifer Pascual is the music director. Daniel Brondel and Michael Hey are associate directors of music who also serve as organists. Robert M. Evers also serves as the Music Administrator and Programs Editor.
We urge you to engage more in our community, whether you have never visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral or are a regular parishioner. For additional information about St. Patrick’s Cathedral, call (212) 753-2261.