Sesquicentennial International Exposition

  In the summer of 1926, Philadelphia set out to remind the nation where it all began. To mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the city hosted the Sesquicentennial International Exposition, a massive world’s fair intended to celebrate American progress, industry, and culture. For

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Benedict Club: A Home Away From Home

The Benedict Club was a refuge for servicemen in Philadelphia during both World Wars. Located at 157 North 15th Street, the club was named after Pope Benedict XV, who was pope during World War I.[1] By 1919, it was considered the largest such organization of its kind, serving over 3,000

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Cardinal Dougherty and His Golden Jubilee

Over 160,000 people packed the Municipal Stadium (Later JFK Stadium) in South Philadelphia on June 2, 1940 to witness Cardinal Dougherty’s Golden Jubilee Mass.[1] The event was the largest gathering of Catholics in the city since 300,000 attended the 1926 Solemn Pontifical Mass for the Sesquicentennial of the Declaration of

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Catholics in WWII

May 8th 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of VE day, the end of the second world war in Europe. In honor of the anniversary, this month’s blog will look at some of the WWII material in the CHRC collections. Majority of our records from WWII come from Cardinal Dougherty’s collection,

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