Parishioners gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral this weekend to celebrate Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, the most sacred week in the year in Christianity. Christian churches like Saint Patrick’s give out palm branches to their congregation, which commemorate the entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

“It’s important because of our Christ and I believe in that so much and I wanted to come to this church,” Dolores Simms, a tourist from Dallas, said.

The iconic church drew other tourists on Sunday, including Jeanne Davis.

“St. Patrick’s is such a beautiful church. You know, so much history. So just the opportunity to be in the area, didn’t want to pass it up,” Davis, a tourist from Houston, said.

The church is also a top destination for native New Yorkers, like Bill Spencer.

“I was born and raised Catholic. I went to St. Luke’s Catholic school and I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve never attended Mass at St. Pat’s Cathedral. It’s kind of like not going to the top of the Empire State Building when you live in New York City,” Spencer, who is from Queens, said.

Palm Sunday Masses are being held all over the world. Pope Francis took part in Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square before tens of thousands of people, a day after he left a Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis.

Back in the city, in between Masses, there was foot traffic in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a sign of the commitment that these parishioners have to their faith.

“I believe our faith and our hope will get us through everything,” Simms said.

There are several Masses coming up at St. Patrick’s Cathedral this week, including for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.