Thousands of Catholics streamed through St. Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday in observance of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season that goes until Easter.
Even with 17 priests and deacons working in shifts between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., the line of faithful curled out the door and around the corner – at times stretching the entire length of 50th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues.
Ushers estimated that by the end of the day 60,000 to 100,000 people would come through the cathedral. Once inside, Christians have their foreheads marked with ashes.
“It’s the only time of the year where you can visually demonstrate you’re a Catholic,” said Nuria Haltiwanger, 27.