This Ministry is a part of  an international association of Catholics dedicated to prayer before the Eucharist for the praise of God and the needs of the world. New York City saw the beginnings of nocturnal adoration in connection with the Forty Hours devotion.  Several parishes in the city had organized groups of men who spent the night in prayer during the Forty Hours and on Holy Thursday. In 1929 Cardinal Patrick Hayes established a national headquarters in the church of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Jean Baptiste, appointed the pastor as national director of the society. Today the Nocturnal Adoration Society is established in 36 countries and counts over 1,000,000 members.