For over 200 years, the grounds of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral have been used as the final resting place for the faithful departed. The Basilica’s historic cemetery and underground catacombs have been a silent witness to the many struggles and accomplishments of prominent New York Catholics. It is where bishops rest beside noteworthy New Yorkers who have played important roles in New York, American, and Catholic history. They rest peacefully in crypts beneath the nave of this historic landmark church in the catacombs.  This labyrinth of vaults belong largely to bankers, lawyers, captains of industry, merchants, and even to Civil War-era generals.  This is a 90-minute walking tour that takes you into the private and off-limits areas of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. The church built in 1809-1815, was the first Cathedral of New York and the original Saint Patrick’s until 1879 when the Bishop’s chair was moved to the new Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.