but what you saw here on fifth avenue when the pope came down today was really a joyous crowd. and despite all of that security they were able to see him, get a sense of him. and now you see the people that are gathered outside the cathedral that are still waiting. this is obviously a special group that got specially invited. you had some high school kids from the area. on the other side workers who actually worked on the $174 million renovation of the cathedral. so it s an interesting group, and i m sure we ll see throughout the next day and a half while he s here these crowds will grow and number but certainly as joyous. we see the pope make his way through start s cathedral at the conclusion of that vespers service. throngs coming to touch his garment and to shake his hand.
of this experience here, however rough and tumble it gets at times, might rebound into latin america, which is still struggling to make democratic transitions stick throughout the continent. i want to go to nbc news correspondent stephanie gosk, who is outside st. patrick s cathedral, where a crowd has assembled. stephanie, what s the scene like out there? reporter: well, chris, it s really remarkable. we ve been hearing a lot this week about the unprecedented levels of security and the fences and the barricades. but what you saw here on fifth avenue when the pope came down today was really a joyous crowd. and despite all of that security they were able to see him, get a sense of him. and now you see the people that are gathered outside the cathedral that are still waiting. this is obviously a special group that got specially invited. you had some high skoolt kids from the area. on the other side workers who actually worked on the $174
i want to go to nbc news correspondent stephanie gosk, who is outside st. patrick s cathedral, where a crowd has assembled. stephanie, what s the scene like out there? reporter: well, chris, it s really remarkable. we ve been hearing a lot this week about the unprecedented levels of security and the fences and the barricades. but what you saw here on fifth avenue when the pope came down today was really a joyous crowd. and despite all of that security they were able to see him, get a sense of him. and now you see the people that are gathered outside the cathedral that are still waiting. this is obviously a special group that got specially invited. you had some high school kids from the area. on the other side workers who actually worked on the $174 million renovation of the cathedral. so it s an interesting group, and i m sure we ll see throughout the next day and a half while he s here these crowds will grow and number but certainly as joyous.
represents potential partner of ours and some of the difficult diplomatic challenges that we have. jim nicholson, former u.s. ambassador to the vet can, thanks for being with us. it s a pleasure. let me go to the streets of new york city, just below us here, we re up on a rooftop, claudio is down on the street level in front of st. patrick s cathedral. claudio, what s the mood like down there? i can only imagine how excited people are getting. you can see probably behind me the few people that got the honor of standing in front on the step of st. patrick s cathedral. you can see to my left, probably, people wearing workers yellow safety vests. now those are the people, many of the workers who have been working on renovation of st. patrick s cathedral now renovation that cost $174 million. they finished it ahead of schedule because of the pope s arrival. look at the result.
we began to administer this medicine and since then we have treated 174 million times in latin america and all across africa. reporter: thanks to the efforts of the carter center river blindness has been almost wiped out in latin america. to go into those villages and see them of a flighted in a horrible way and to know that disease doesn t need to exist there because it s been eliminated in richer countries and to start a program and go back later to see the disease is gone and that people have a totally transformed life. there s some great dividends to be derived from a small investment. co: i ve always found you don t know you need a hotel room