Hundreds of thousands of people are packing Fifth Avenue for the Puerto Rican Day parade led by the island's governor.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla was followed by New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Puerto Rico native.
In front of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan sported a straw hat over his red skullcap to greet marchers.
He shouted out "Hallelujah! Bienvenidos a todos'' -- meaning "welcome to all'' -- while giving out blessings to the mostly Catholic crowd.
The cardinal then did a little dance with Puerto Rican-born entertainer Rita Moreno after she stepped out of her convertible.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
