NYC's St. Patrick's Cathedral to hold Midnight Christmas Mass

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Is there a better place to be on Christmas Eve than St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of New York City? Thousands of New Yorkers and visitors alike think not.

Midnight Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral is a Christmas tradition dating back to 1879. It is arguably one of the most famous services in the world.

The event is free, but it is ticketed to ensure the safety of the 2,500 people who pack the pews inside. No tickets remain for this year's Midnight Mass, according to the St. Patrick's Cathedral website.

PIX11 will continue its annual tradition of airing St. Patrick's Cathedral's Midnight Christmas Mass from 12 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Earlier, PIX11’s Mary Murphy sat down with Cardinal Timothy Dolan to talk about the Sunday night sermon.

"It’s all about hope," the cardinal told PIX11 News. "It’s all about coming from the darkness into the light."

It will be Dolan’s 15th Midnight Mass as archbishop of New York.

In his sermon, Dolan also plans to talk about the ongoing suffering in the Middle East. His message comes just as Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem were called off because of the Israel-Hamas war.

The cardinal will also talk about the migrant crisis facing New York City and the United States.