The service is due to start in two hours
and already, large crowds are building.
Oh, Lady Gaga! So beautiful! Thank you, thank you!
How old is Max? Nine months. Oh, a puppy!
Hi! Oh, he's gorgeous! Who in the world is this?
Mabelle. Hi, Mabelle!
It's looking to be a bumper attendance.
Over 2,000 people have arrived so far.
The more overexcited pets packed in the pews,
the greater the potential for pandemonium.
Outside, the procession animals and their handlers are arriving.
Every year, a local animal sanctuary loans them to Patti
for the day to help the cathedral with fundraising.
Anyone who wants to lead one of these exotic animals up the aisle,
or bring a pet, can make a donation.
The money raised funds work in the community and helps with
the upkeep of the cathedral.
But many of the animals require careful handling.
Oh! Boa, boa, boa! Yeah!
All right, behind sheep and then, boa, stay there.
It's wonderful to see the cathedral full for our St Francis Day
celebration and it is mixture of domestic animals...
At 11am, the Bishop of New York begins the service.
Patti has just 45 minutes left to get all the animals lined up
and ready to move out on cue.
The mama duck with the baby ducks? Yes!
Patti's ark is taking shape.
Oscar's going to go first up the ramp and down the aisle,
followed by Camel.
But all the animals need to be lined up in a very particular order
for the procession.
We don't want the birds of prey behind the baby ducklings. No.
If predator species are placed next to potential prey,
they could attack.
And large animals might kick smaller animals behind them.
All right, Diane, let's head down.
The service is now well under way.
With only 30 minutes left to go, one of Patti's animal handlers faints.
The lady just passed out. OK.
So, we're calling 911, we're letting security know.
But the show must go on. All right, everybody, line up.
If you've got animals, come with me.
If I may ask the congregation to be seated.
Finally, it's time to go.
Open the doors, open the doors.
As the procession of animals is beginning now...
lose sleep over whether or not the animals will actually make it
all the way down the main aisle of the cathedral.
When the animals enter the narrow aisle, they could feel trapped.
This is the moment when they are most likely to panic.
But the animals remain calm.
There's this quiet that engulfs this amazing cathedral,
this huge space, and that's what I love.
That moment where I know everything's in place
and it's all going to be OK.
The Bishop blesses the last of the animals,
the procession's poop scooper deals with one final accident,
and Patti can breathe again.
The event has been a triumph.
It's all worked out again, which is miraculous.
To see this magnificent cathedral filled as it ought to be filled
every Sunday, this is what it's about, that we come
together in these moments and they're sacred.