Crowds gather at St. Patrick's Cathedral for Easter Mass
NEW YORK -- Crowds gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown on Sunday for Easter Mass.
Eight masses were held throughout the day with the first at 7 a.m.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan presided over the 10:15 a.m. service. Dolan said Easter is all about hope, rebirth, and peace.
Parishioners agreed.
"It feels like you have hope because Jesus died for us, was able to give us that rebirth and just a way to celebrate and show up in a new light," said Denise Lee of Gramercy Park.
"It's good to see a rebirth in spring, the flowers growing. It's a time of rebirth for people," added Linda McHugh of Summit, New Jersey.
The final Mass was to take place at around 6 p.m.
In Brooklyn, Bishop Robert Brennan presided over a service at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. on Saturday, Brennan's homily mentioned those looking for Jesus, seeking peace and meaning in their life.
The annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue kicked off at 10 a.m. outside St. Patrick's Cathedral. The tradition dates back to the 1800s. Anyone wanting to participate just needed to show up in their best bonnet.
In Rome, Pope Francis delivered Mass to tens of thousands in Saint Peter's Square. Last night, Francis led Roman Catholics around the world into Easter during a nighttime vigil.
The pope decried the icy winds of war, corruption and other injustices, and encouraged parishioners not to yield to disillusionment and to keep moving forward.
"The end of war, the end of racism. We want everything to get better. It sounds maybe foolish to hope for that, but if you don't start with hope where are you going?" sad Lida Henning, a parishioner in New York City.
