St. Patrick's Cathedral was "standing-room-only" yesterday at a thanksgiving mass led by Cardinal Egan celebrating the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the Daily News reports. Several New Yorkers in attendance were quoted as saying that "he deserved to be a saint," and that "it's a very cool thing--he was a very spiritual man." We assume the Vatican's HR department would screen out all of those "non-spiritual" papal applications (notable exception: Pope Dwayne "Boogie" Williams, also known as "The Surfer Pope" of the 12th century). more ›

In the final year of baseball in Yankee Stadium, the legendary park will host the 2008 All-Star Game. In its 45th and final year, what does Shea Stadium get? A commemorative logo from the New York Mets. Fitting for the multi-purpose stadium that is a relic of the 1960s. Today, the Mets, the stadium's primary occupant since it opened in 1964, unveiled a logo that players will wear on their sleeves during the 2008 season.... more ›

He headed first to the United Nations, where he met with the secretary-general, Kurt Waldheim, and addressed the General Assembly. The pope then had lunch with the pope's representative to the United Nations, Archbishop Giovanni Cheli, at the legate's Manhattan apartment. It was then off to the seat of Catholicism in New York, St. Patrick's Cathedral, where John Paul II met with Cardinal Terrence Cooke before celebrating Mass. More than 3,000 priests, brothers, and nuns were in attendance. more ›

A six-foot tall chocolate sculpture of Jesus which will be displayed at a Midtown hotel next week is stirring up controversy. Catholics are calling Cosimo Cavallaro's "My Sweet Lord" an "all-out war on Christianity." more ›

The city's tourist arm, NYC Visit, is trying to make sure tourists don't freak out and cancel their plans, while some travelers are looking at taking the trains instead. Well, "patience" will be the mantra for any airport travelers these days - authorities are asking travelers to pack as little as possible to make things speedy. What we think is nice: The JFK Courtyard Marriott is stocking up on saline solution, toothpaste, and other liquidy beauty aids their guests might need. more ›

Here are this weeks Weddings and Celebrations, by the numbers: more ›

Following up on Curbed's post about graffiti artist Chico's tribute to Pope John Paul II, it seems that many people with cans of spray paint want to pay some respect to the late pontiff. De la Vega, who had been the bane of his community, has created a Pope and Jesus-on-the-crucifix mural on a Spanish Harlem security gate that he hopes will be permanent. And reader Marisa pointed us to how someone in Long Island City is remembering PJPII. We can only imagine that Pope John Paul II appreciates even street art, as he did have breakdancers perform for him. more ›

- The NY Times has a special Pope John Paul II section (including an editorial). Robert D. McFadden's obituary is fascinating (and also very thorough); Gothamist was intrigued by the beginning, in which McFadden recounts the announcement of Pope John Paul's papacy: Pope John Paul II appeared for the first time and spoke to the crowds at St. Peter's Square:

"I do not know whether I can express myself in your - in our - Italian language," he said, pausing. more ›

Most of the world is on PopeWatch, while the media is taking a break from TerriWatch to cover the latest on the terrible ailments of Pope John Paul II. The Vatican says he's in very grave condition, after the past few weeks of a trachetomy, a UTI, septic shock, and a heart attack of sorts. New Yorkers of Polish descent have been convening in Greenpoint at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church to pray for the Pope, while Cardinal John Egan gave a special prayer at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Here's the Vatican's official site, which seems to be experiencing heavy traffic. For more about the Popse, there's the Pope John Paul II Center in DC, a 1999 CNN profile and Wikipedia's entry. more ›