Easter Services Take Place at St. Patrick's Cathedral Amid Increased Police Presence

The NYPD increased its presence as parishioners made their way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to celebrate Easter Sunday.

The increase in security at the iconic New York City house of worship is due to many reasons, including the Sri Lanka church and hotel bombings that killed hundreds Sunday morning, as well as to the incident that took place last week when a New Jersey man with flammable liquid and lighters allegedly tried to enter the church.

Heightened security was also present due in part the fire that destroyed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Parishioners said that seeing so many officers does take some getting used to, while others say they feel safe with the amount of security stationed in the area.

“There’s no danger here, really. It’s always secure,” Ellen Christine, a SoHo resident, said.

Additionally, NYPD heightened security in the area due to the many people participating in annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue.

Security was also on the mind of Gov. Cuomo Sunday as he ordered state police to increase patrols at churches and houses of worship across New York state in the wake of the attacks in Sri Lanka.

The United States says that "several" American citizens have been killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

More than 200 people have died in a series of blasts against churches and hotels that the Sri Lankan government is blaming on religious extremists. And U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement says that even as details of the attacks are still emerging, the U.S. government can confirm that Americans are among the casualties.