As the city confronts a housing crunch, migrant crisis and record inflation, Cardinal Timothy Dolan says Easter is "all about hope" for residents of the five boroughs and beyond.

"It's been the same message since that first Easter actually," Dolan told Rocco Vertuccio and Shannan Ferry Sunday morning on NY1. "It's deliverance from death to life, from slavery to sin to the life of grace. Passover. Easter. Spring. Hallelujah."

Easter is a Christian festival and holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his death by crucifixion. Easter Sunday is one of the most important days on the Christian calendar.

Many city residents attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on Sunday.

"Sometimes I look up and know a good chunk of these folks ain't gonna be back until Christmas. Does that get me down though?" Dolan said. "I'm just glad they're here. I hope their faith has been sustained and nourished and perked up. I hope they find this so attractive that they come back every Sunday, because for us, every Sunday is a little Easter. So folks, we're happy you're here. Come on back."

Dolan says having fun on Easter, such as eating chocolate and painting eggs, can help children galvanize their faith.

"Easter should be fun. I'm glad they got new shoes. I'm glad they got new clothes. I'm glad they got chocolate, candy. I hope they share it with me," Dolan said. "This is fun, because faith is about hope and love and joy."

More than 4,000 miles away in Rome, Pope Francis celebrated Easter Mass on Sunday in a flower-adorned St. Peter's Square filled with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful.

He said prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised countries that accept refugees and called on Israelis and Palestinians to form a "climate of trust."

"He's sort of a living icon of the resurrection. We get reports that he's dying. We get reports that he's up and around. We get some reports that he's sick. We get some reports that he's pretty healthy and vibrant," Dolan said. "That's what life is, and he is showing us that life has its ups and downs and has its Good Friday and Easter Sunday."

During Sunday's interview, Dolan also shared his thoughts on the Archdiocese of New York’s announcement that 12 Catholic schools will not reopen in the fall.

Officials said in February that after conducting studies, they determined five Catholic schools in Manhattan, six in the Bronx and one on Staten Island will be shut down. Four others in the Bronx will be merged into two schools.

"Sometimes our schools, like by the way the public schools, have to do some trimming and closing so that the system remains strong," Dolan said. "So we hope that life comes out of this death, but that sure doesn't ease the sorrow and the pain for our wonderful kids and parents."

Dolan also touched on the migrant crisis, noting the impact Catholic Charities have had helping those arriving in the city.

As of this month, more than 53,000 migrants have entered the city shelter system, of which more than 33,000 remain in the city's care.

"Well, Catholic Charities has risen to the occasion," Dolan said. "We got to be because Jesus told us to so we take that seriously. It strained us but it's also given us a booster shot, and not just as Christians, not just as Catholics, but as Americans. When I greet these migrants and refugees as I often try to do, it's Easter for them. They're smiling. They're beaming because they're in the promised land."