...in United States history. The purpose was to acquaint the public with the world wide work of the Catholic Church and promote the various apostolic services. Hosted in Convention Hall, over 400 exhibits from 170 mission societies would be on display for the public over the course of a week.

...Pius XII proclaimed that a Marian year was to be celebrated throughout the world on the occasion of the first centenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The papal decree stated that the purpose of this year was “that the faith