Vatican Pavilion, 1964.

Perhaps surprisingly the Vatican Pavilion was the second most popular site at the 1964-1965 World's Fair. 52% of attendees visited the pavilion, including Pope Paul VI, 15 Cardinals, one Patriarch, three Apostolic Delegates, and 127 Archbishops and Bishops. It was five times more popular than any other religious sponsored locale at the fair. The attractions in the popular pavilion included the tiara of Pope Paul VI, a replica of the Tomb of St. Peter, and the Pietà, Michelangelo's stone masterpiece, which was shipped from St. Peter’s Basilica in a waterproof metal container and displayed behind bullet-proof plexiglass. The artwork, which had not left its basilica home since 1499, was dramatically situated by Jo Mielziner, famed Broadway set designer and viewed from a series of multilevel moving walkways.

The oval-shaped mid-century building with a golden roof and cross that rose to 100 feet was designed by the firms of York & Sawyer, Hurley & Hughes, and Luders and Associates. The building also featured a glass-enclosed mezzanine that formed a tent-like circular chapel. Following the close of the fair, both interior and exterior architectural elements of the Chapel of the Good Shepard were purchased by St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church in Groton, Connecticut. A new church building (which still stands today) was designed using these features by architect, William F. Herman, Jr.