The pews of the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral were filled throughout the day on Christmas. 

“It was beautiful. Very, very nice. Very glorious. Lots of people, lots of happy faces,” says Luai Mahjneh, who is visiting from Finland.

The first service to mark the beginning of Christmas was the popular annual midnight mass.

It was the only mass at the church that required a ticket.

Roughly 40,000 people entered the lottery in hopes of getting a ticket.

Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh were among those who filled the church for the midnight mass lead by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The archbishop later returned to lead the 10:15 a.m. mass Sunday morning. 

“Grudges are put on pause. Kids rejoice and wonder why everybody’s smiling. Miracles. Miracles happen at Christmas. Not just on 34th Street,” said Cardinal Dolan. “Because that most distinctive human trait hope, resilience — is rekindled and fanned into a flame brighter than any Yuletide log.” 

The masses of the day looked very different from last year.

In 2021, the city saw a surge of COVID-19 cases around the holiday — making the masses held with several restrictions.

This year, services were closer to normal. 

“Regardless of the situation, COVID or the cold weather like this, freezing cold weather, people are still coming in to attend a mass to celebrate Christmas,” said Midtown resident Chester Medina, who attended the annual mass this year and in 2021.