Father Patrick Peyton: The International Promoter of Family Prayer

By Father Rick Gribble, C.S.C., Ph.D

From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s the throngs of people who came to hear the inspirational message of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., grew almost exponentially. Beginning in Canada in 1948 and continuing to every continent, including areas where Roman Catholics were few, and concluding in South America, Father Peyton brought his simple yet profound message, “The family that prays together stays together ” Crowds grew from capacities of a few thousand in a Canadian park to a hundred thousand in European soccer stadiums to over two million people crowded into city streets and squares in Brazil and the Philippines. Father Peyton’s unsophisticated yet heartfelt message captivated audiences everywhere. Today, in a world torn asunder by political strife, social discord, war and violence, his message might be more relevant than ever.

Father Peyton’s ministry began on radio and continued in television specials, but it found its apex in his international Rosary crusades. Convinced that his cure from tuberculosis during his seminary days was through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he dedicated his life to being her champion As he once said, “I am Mary’s slave ” For him, the greatest manifestation of this promise was promoting the efficacy of family prayer, especially through the Rosary

He set a goal for a million people to sign a pledge that they would pray the family Rosary together daily. He reached his goal in short order, but then he continued and set higher standards. Never satisfied with basic success in his ministry, Father Peyton always drove himself and the men and women with whom he worked to a fever pitch, but always toward the common goal of bringing families together through prayer.

Catholics in the United States remember Father Peyton most prominently for his radio show, “Family Theater of the Air,” and numerous halfhour television specials, but the international community knows him from his Rosary Crusades. When the Crusade came to a local area there was much preliminary work done, including the production of literature, parish meetings, and school workshops The culmination of the Crusade was the arrival of Father Peyton who would deliver his powerful message of the need for prayer, based on his own experience, both as a youth in Ireland and as a priest.

Father Peyton’s message continues today in the work of Holy Cross Family Ministries. The world today badly needs his message, one of familial integrity centered on the basic Christian concept of prayer. Hopefully, the world will hear his message and learn its truth.

Father Rick Gribble, C S C , taught at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts for 27 years in the Department of Religious Studies and Theology His specific area of expertise is American Catholic History. He is an accomplished author of 40 books including "American Apostle of the Family Rosary: The Life of Patrick J Peyton, C S C , " and over 450 articles in religious history and spirituality He is the official biographer of Father Patrick Peyton, C S C