BY RENE RODRIGUEZ

  NEW YORK - They were everywhere at once, it seemed:

  Gathered outside the Upper East Side funeral home where an estimated 20,000 people had turned out on Monday to pay their respects; lined up and down a 30-block stretch of Fifth Avenue, where her funeral procession would soon file by; clustered outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, hoping to snag precious seats for her memorial Mass; huddled outside the gates of Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, where Celia Cruz finally would be laid to rest.

  Fans of the late Cuban singer overran New York City on Tuesday, buffeted -- but not deterred -- by a ferocious summer thunderstorm that could not dampen their affection for their beloved guarachera, who died July 16 of a brain tumor in her Fort Lee, N.J., home at the age of 77. Even if Gov. George Pataki had not already proclaimed Tuesday ''Celia Cruz Day'' across the state of New York, it still would have felt that way here.

  The day began where it had ended Monday, outside the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, where several hundred people gathered on street corners behind police
  barricades as drivers of passing cars honked their horns and yelled: "We love you, Celia!''

  Shortly before 1 p.m., the mood of quiet expectation gave way to wild cheers and cries of ''Celia!'' as the singer's coffin, draped in a Cuban flag, was placed in a
  glass-enclosed horse-drawn carriage adorned with lavender roses and yellow azaleas. The carriage headed south on Fifth Avenue, accompanied by limousines carrying family members, friends and truckloads of wreaths and floral arrangements.

  Befitting the singer's reputation as the Queen of Salsa, the procession imparted a regal air as it headed towards St. Patrick's. Along the way, curious passers-by mingled with diehard fans, leaning over barricades to snap photos.

  ''Who is she?'' a dog walker juggling five charges asked. ''Era la reina (She was the queen)!,'' replied a woman clad in a T-shirt emblazoned with Cruz's image. A
  double-decker sightseeing bus rode past, the tourists aboard capturing the scene with camcorders.

  The crowd swelled in numbers as the procession reached midtown, where fans swarmed outside the fabled church, a mass of jostling umbrellas, loud cheers and joyous applause. The rain fell hard, but few seemed to notice. A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty shouted ''Libertad para Cuba! (Freedom for Cuba!)'' while waving a papier-mché torch.

  Inside, where a crowd of 2,000 family members, celebrities and lucky fans were gathered, the mood was calmer and more reflective. Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Rubén Blades, Paquito D'Rivera and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were among those who listened to the 90-minute Mass, conducted in Spanish.

  In a moving homily punctuated by applause, auxiliary Bishop Josú Iriondo recounted Cruz's humble roots and ensuing career, spoke about the inspirational power of her life and music and celebrated her irrepressible spirit.

  ''She never distanced herself from ordinary people, and the higher she flew, the higher those people flew with her,'' Iriondo said. ``Celia prophetically said she would live forever, and she will. You haven't left us, Celia. We don't see you, but we feel you, because like divine sugar, you live on to sweeten the coffee that is your people.''

  Iriondo also spoke about Cruz's 41-year marriage to Pedro Knight, who received a standing ovation. With peals of thunder rumbling outside, singer Patti LaBelle performed a soulful rendition of Ave Maria, bringing it to a close with a gentle, but perfectly appropriate, ''Azucar!'' -- Cruz's trademark.

  Outside the church, the Mass was broadcast via loudspeakers for the thousands who did not make it inside, but much of the crowd opted to celebrate instead, clapping and singing in the intermittent rain.

  ''It's a very sad occasion, but Celia always said she wanted to be remembered as someone who brought happiness to our lives,'' said Yolanda Rodrigo, 46, of New York City, who took the day off from work to attend the services. ``I know she would have wanted us to celebrate today.''

  As if by design, the rain ceased and the sun even shone weakly through the clouds as the Mass ended and Cruz's coffin was placed in a hearse to be taken to Woodlawn Cemetery, home to other musical greats such as Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and Miles Davis. There, too, a large crowd of fans awaited the singer's arrival, ready to bid her a final, but upbeat, farewell.

  In the liner notes for her upcoming album Regalo del Alma (Gift From the Soul), due for release next week, Cruz wrote: ``This record is dedicated to . . . all of you who keep giving me such great strength and hope.''

  Tuesday, they went on giving just that, seemingly intent on continuing to do it forever.