Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie, Rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, explains the archbishop’s chair — called a cathedra — to visitors from St. James Church in Cazenovia on Dec. 10. The St. James Cazenovia High School Youth Group took a private tour of the cathedral. Msgr. Ritchie told the group that other than Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the only other person who may sit in the chair is Pope Francis. If the chair were removed from the premises, St. Patrick’s would no longer be a cathedral, the monsignor said. After a behind-the-scenes look at the sacristy and the altar, the St. James group was seated in the front pews for the Vigil Mass. Some of the students were asked to take up the collection. “It was the perfect ending to a perfect day,” wrote St. James Faith Formation Director Lisa Matto. The group also visited Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Bryant Park. Photos courtesy Lisa Matto.
Cazenovia group visits St. Patrick’s Cathedral
