Faithful head to St. Patrick's Cathedral for final Christmas Eve Masses led by Cardinal Dolan
Christmas Eve Mass is being held throughout the day at St. Patrick's Cathedral Wednesday.
It all leads up to Wednesday night's Midnight Mass.
The holiday will be especially meaningful to those in the Catholic community as Cardinal Timothy Dolan recently introduced his successor, Bishop Ron Hicks of Illinois, who will become archbishop of New York. Dolan turned 75 this year, when the Catholic church requires its leaders submit their resignations.
Dolan made Christmas Eve special for some of New York's Finest by celebrating Mass at the NYPD's 13th Precinct.
Visitors, meanwhile, have been arriving at the cathedral all day. All of that means extra crowds are likely. St. Patrick's Cathedral itself, with its distinct, castle-like, neo-gothic style, brings in locals and tourists from all over the world every holiday season.
Inside the church, there's a full-size recreation of the biblical nativity scene, as well as other Christmas displays.
"It's where Catholics come and everybody else from outside the city," a visitor named Vin said.
"It is the first time I see a church decorated, because in Spain it's not common," Spanish tourist Lorena said.
"This is gorgeous, I think this is very nice. I want them to pray over them tomorrow and I think it's just a good thing that we're here with everything going on. We've been having a lot this year. Everybody needs to learn to come together," another visitor said.
Masses are being held throughout the day, and tonight's Christmas Midnight Mass is already out of tickets. It will be livestreamed, however .
St. Patrick's is also offering Christmas wreaths in memory of loved ones, a kind gesture for those who might be missing someone this holiday season.