Few places in the U.S. are more iconic than St. Patrick's Cathedral, which hosts a midnight Christmas Mass every year.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan will preside over that service once again, which draws city residents and tourists alike.

"It's one of the most glorious nights of the year," Dolan told Rocco Vertuccio Saturday morning on NY1. "It's the darkest, most quiet time of the night and that's the time that the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. It's like we're all little kids. We can't wait until Christmas morning to celebrate."

Dolan says that this year, 40,000 people requested tickets to attend the service.

"We do throw open the doors so people can come in and stand, and we of course have a full schedule of Christmas Masses as well," Dolan said.

As New Yorkers worry about crime, war in Ukraine and inflation, Dolan encouraged people to keep their faith this holiday season.

"Yeah, you know what everybody? Listen. Don't lose faith," Dolan said. "Sometimes, it's about the only thing we got. Our faith and our hope."

Christmas, which is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is changing, however.

A poll published on Dec. 15 by Ipsos found that 84% of Christians surveyed believe that Americans have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.

But Dolan does not view that as a negative, and says that everything "flows from the message of Christmas."

"You have people buying, not for themselves, but to give away to people they love. You have people longing to be united with family and friends. You have people who are filled with joy and hope. You have people reaching out to help those in need — the poor and the sick," Dolan said. "So don't tell me this is all commercialization. All those beautiful things flow from the Christmas message."