NEW YORK — When talking about the world’s greatest Cathedrals, several come to mind: St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Notre Dame in Paris, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

Known as “America’s Parish Church,” St. Patrick’s Cathedral was completed in 1878 and over the decades the Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral has welcomed millions of visitors from around the world. Located on busy Fifth Avenue, between East 50th and 51st streets, directly across the street from Rockefeller Center facing the hulking Atlas statue.

The cathedral, the largest in the country, is considered one of the most visible symbols of Roman Catholicism in New York City and the United States. It takes up an entire city block in the center of Manhattan and remains at the the heart of New York’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The cathedral also represents the center of Catholic spirituality in this country. St. Patrick, it’s worth noting, is not only the patron saint of Ireland, but also that of the Archdiocese of New York in honor of the many immigrants from the Emerald Isle who settled in this region.

“This beautiful Cathedral of Saint Patrick, built up over many years through the sacrifices of many men and women, can serve as a symbol of the work of generations of American priests and religious, and lay faithful who helped build up the church in the United States,” Pope Francis said during his 2015 U.S. tour, which included a stop at the famed house of worship. “In the field of education alone, how many priests and religious in this country played a central role, assisting parents in handing on to their children the food that nourishes them for life! Many did so at the cost of extraordinary sacrifice and with heroic charity. I think for example of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded the first free Catholic school for girls in America, or St. John Neumann, the founder of the first system of Catholic education in the United States.”