Over the past 110 years, the U.S. Catholic population has grown from 14.3 million to 68.5 million. There have been plenty of historical firsts and statistics of note along the way; here is a selection from the archives of America magazine.

From 1933: Prohibition has been a bitter experience, and a time of disaster.

From 1944: When President Roosevelt led the nation in prayer on D-Day's night, an event unique in modern history took place.

From 1944: May the English-born Saint Boniface, through his intercession with God, bring out of the battles of today the peace of tomorrow.

From 1955: How wide should the concerns of the Catholic journalist be?

While murders have decreased since 2015-2016, when El Salvador had the world's highest murder rate, disappearances have increased, and the murder rate remains among the worst in the world.