A message that came back when it was most needed

Just when people most need it, the message of the late Father Patrick Peyton is back on front-page news. Or did father’s indelible cold war day’s words, “The family that prays together stays together” ever truly fade away? It was back in 1947 when the man who came out of the church onto the streets of America as “the Rosary Priest” opened human hearts with a catchphrase of hope. Knowing that his words would never fly without help from technology, the parish priest founded Family Theatre Productions, which, with the help of Hollywood stars of the day, was to become a rousing call to prayer.

Loretta Young, Jimmy Steward, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball appeared on his shows, which Fr. Peyton made sure always ended with the words, “The family that prays together stays together.” The parish priest died in 1992, but his catchwords, trademarked by his ministry, keep his spirit alive. It is fitting that the humble priest with a talent to have people focus on what matters most, family and prayer, is being considered for sainthood, The Archdiocese of Baltimore celebrated a special Mass yesterday to mark the beginning of the investigating process. “Then, three priests from the archdiocese will spend the coming years, reviewing documents and examining witnesses who say they were healed after praying to Peyton.” The results will be reviewed by a commission at the Vatican.” (FoxNews, Nov. 19, 2008). The cheers must be drowning out life’s sorrows over in the Emerald Isle! Fr. Peyton would be pleased to know that the same words that held families together during the Cold War, came back through time some 61 years later to hold families together in what is being tagged as what could be the worst worldwide depression since the 1930s. Having been raised in Ireland by a family that turned daily to the Rosary and the Virgin Mary “for strength”, a humble Irish lad carried the belief into adulthood, and as an ordained priest, remained loyal to the belief that the centuries-old tradition could help earth-struggling families of the day. “He was always thinking of Mary and always promoting the rosary,” said Rev, John Phalen, President of the Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries on Peyton’s work. “If you ever went in the car with him, you prayed the rosary with him.” Like `Sister Benedict’, played by Ingrid Bergman in the movie, The Bells of St. Mary’s, Fr. Peyton suffered from tuberculosis. Only his tuberculosis came in real life and not the movies and he believed he was healed only after praying to Mary. “That story is the one he told wherever he went,” Phalen said. “Doctors said he’d better try prayer because they couldn’t do anything for him, and it worked, Peyton would tell people.” Saints are often depicted in books with a halo over their heads; people fortunate enough to know Fr. Peyton described him as “glowing” and “holy”. All of the bumps he met along life’s road were met with prayer. “His saintliness came across in everything he did,” said Dorothy Halloran of Albany, N.Y., who worked as his secretary. Even when he dictated a letter, Peyton would start with a prayer, asking God to help him move the reader to aid his ministry, she said. “Peyton emigrated with his brother from Ireland to Scranton, Pa, in 1928 at the age of 19. Later both entered the seminary and were ordained in 1941, following Peyton’s recovery from tuberculosis. The next year, Patrick Peyton founded his rosary ministry in Albany, N.Y, and later Family Theatre Productions, which produced 600 radio and television shows and aired more than 10,000 broadcasts. “Since the Vatican allowed the canonization process to begin in 2001, Peyton’s writings, documents and unofficial testimony have been collected in the Fall River, Mass. Diocese, where he is buried. The case was moved to Baltimore because it has the best resources and experience, said the Rev. George Lucas, who has worked as a facilitator for the case.” The “Rosary Priest’s” story serves as an inspirational message of hope in troubled times. Fr. Peyton’s words, “The family that prays together stays together”, ringing out over the decades were never more needed than they are today.

Judi McLeod——Bio and Archives -- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.