USA TODAY has the latest on the fabled and much-beloved Fr. Patrick Peyton:
Visit USA TODAY's link for the rest. There's also a write up in this week's Catholic Review in Baltimore.Recognized widely for his catchphrase — "the family that prays together stays together" — the late Rev. Patrick Peyton spread his message to millions by radio and later television, using Hollywood stars to emphasize prayer and moral values.
Now, the man known as the "Rosary Priest" for his penchant to use rosary beads to say Roman Catholic prayers for even activities like riding in a car, Peyton is being considered for sainthood. The Archdiocese of Baltimore will celebrate a Mass on Thursday to mark the start 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.
Peyton, who died in 1992, used technology to reach more people than he ever could by person, founding Family Theater Productions in 1947 in Hollywood, said the Rev. John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries on Peyton's work.
He bolstered his message with Hollywood elites, including Loretta Young, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball, who appeared on his shows. He ended many programs with his catchy family message, now trademarked by his ministry.
As Peyton grew up in Ireland, his family prayed the rosary daily and it brought them strength, Phalen said. He thought the centuries-old tradition linked to the Virgin Mary could help other families.
"He was always thinking of Mary and always promoting the rosary," Phalen said. "If you ever went in the car with him, you prayed the rosary with him."
Peyton's driving force in life was a belief that he was healed of tuberculosis 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 with a halo over their heads, and those who knew Peyton described him as glowing and holy.
"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.
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3 comments:
What a wonderful model to follow :)
Father, pray for us.
I'm a huge Father Peyton fan. I've made the leap that he is alredy in heaven (what's to lose if I am wrong?) and often call on his intercession when praying the rosary.
For anyone who is still at "the rosary is boring" stage, the BEST little "mystery aid" I've ever come across, and still use often, is the little blue "Praying the rosary with Father Payton book." I just checked amazon and they have lots of used ones for only $5.50.
We use it in our Blue Army Group. Some of my deepest meditations on Christ have come from the inspiration of Father Peyton out of that book.
Every once in a while, EWTN shows the footage of the A list of Hollywood praying the rosary in an LA stadium with Father Peyton. You can only believe it when you see it. Think Brad & Angelina, Brittney, George Clooney, Babs, ... you get the idea, mindblowing! What a difference a few decades make.
It should be noted that no where in the article does it mention that Fr. Peyton was a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross nor are the initials of the Congregation (C.S.C.) listed after his name. Fr. Peyton's ministerial life was shaped by his membership in Holy Cross, and this fact should not be forgotten nor should it be concluded from the article that he was a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
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