2023 Winter Family Link

FAMILY LINK

Letter from the President

Dear Friend,

It's an honor for me to write to you through this latest issue of the Family Link newsletter As you might have read in the fall issue of the newsletter, I was appointed by the Congregation of Holy Cross to animate this important ministry. It is a privilege for me to be invited to offer leadership to the work that Venerable Patrick Peyton founded.

I have been involved with Holy Cross Family Ministries for a number of years and in different capacities. It is a ministry that has shaped my life as a religious and a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. I worked in the ministry for my pastoral year as a seminarian in the Fort Portal Diocese of Uganda. I have fond memories of the outreaches in the villages and institutions, the many radio programs we presented, and the films we showed The impact I witnessed while doing this form of “ new evangelization” sealed my confidence in the power of media in evangelization

The message of Father Peyton about the importance of situating our families in family prayer has never been as needed as it is right now. As our world keeps changing, societal pressures increase and social bonds become weaker, there is an urgency about the need to bring families back to pray together. As we realized through the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, media technology has offered families cyberspace as an added refuge for prayer and fellowship. Media are gifts from God, and we can certainly put them to good use, such as in the practice of family prayer

We have also been blessed with the renewed opportunity to pray with families face-to-face once again Because of friends like you, this past year we brought back many in-person prayer services, retreats, and programs, both domestically and internationally.

As you will read in the following pages, our mission work is bursting with new life again as we begin to witness to families at The Father Peyton Family Institute in Peru, our Ministry Center in the Philippines, and The Museum of Family Prayer in North Easton, Massachusetts to name a few places

While the lives of many were transformed in 2022, together, we have the potential to reach countless new families this year. Holy Cross Family Ministries is boldly planning for the future of our mission by enhancing the foundation of our prayer-centered resources and experiences to address the contextual realities and needs of 21stcentury families.

I look forward to sharing with you soon our new opportunities for collaboration that invigorate Father Peyton’s vision of “A World at Prayer is a World at Peace ”

Together in Mission, Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C. President

Holy Cross Family Ministries

FRONT COVER IMAGE: Families gathered for the October 2022 Rosary Festival at The Father Peyton Center in North Easton, MA.

New Museum at Ministry Center in the Philippines

Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., first arrived in the Philippines in the 1950s. His crusade for family prayer in Manila started in 1959 when the late Archbishop of Mania, Rufino J Cardinal Santos invited Father Peyton to host a Rosary Rally As with Father Peyton’s previous Rosary Rallies, millions attended and made their presence felt

Today Father Peyton’s legacy lives on through our Ministry Center and local chapters of the Father Peyton Prayer Guild in the Philippines. Many of the families we serve still have fond memories of Father Peyton’s first visit and his impact on meeting their parents or grandparents. Now we have an opportunity to reach a new generation through the renovated Ministry Center in Manilla which

features a museum devoted to Venerable Patrick Peyton.

Technology has dramatically helped us adapt and reach out to more families over the last few years But now with many of our in-person prayer services, retreats, and programs reopening this newly constructed Ministry Center office and museum will help us continue our mission to bring the Rosary back into every home and promote Father Peyton’s message of “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together” in a tangible way.

Images of our recently renovated Ministry Center which includes a new Father Peyton museum

Advent Family Day at Museum of Family Prayer

Our Third Annual Advent Family Day at the Museum of Family Prayer in North Easton, MA was held on December 3, 2022. The Advent Family Day drew many joyous family members for a day of prayer, crafting Christmas ornaments, and exploration of the Museum. Parents, children, and grandparents gathered together to join in on the fun activity, and refreshments were served.

Families of all ages came to the Museum, many for the first time, and it was wonderful to see the joy on their faces. While the paint was drying, families were more than happy to visit the Family Room or take a tour of the Museum

This Advent tradition at the Museum was a wonderful way for families to prepare for the Birth of the Savior who wants to live in our hearts and our families Seeing families spending time together while celebrating the life of Christ, was a lovely tribute to Venerable Patrick Peyton and his ongoing ministry through the Museum of Family Prayer

LEFT: This year’s Advent Family Day craft, Nativity ornaments RIGHT: Family touring the Musuem of Family Prayer

LEFT: Inflatable Nativity display in the Family Room at the Museum of Family Prayer. RIGHT & BOTTOM: Families painting Nativity ornaments at the Third Annual Advent Family Day.

Young Missionaries for Family Prayer

The Museum of Family Prayer educates the hearts and minds of all who walk through its doors Since September 2022, the museum has welcomed more than 400 visitors from local Catholic schools and religious education groups Using the latest technology, the museum exposes students to the beauty, goodness, and power of family prayer throughout history. From classic footage of Father Peyton to modern testimonies on the personal impact of prayer, the Museum of Family Prayer offers students a space to listen, watch, and pray.

Upon arriving, students are welcomed with a presentation on the life of our beloved founder, Venerable Patrick Peyton. Setting the tone for their visit that even as a young boy in Ireland Father Peyton had a positive influence and an opportunity to inspire others with his faith through prayer The students also participate in a very important service project while at the museum, packaging Rosaries

The students joyfully pack the Rosaries and talk amongst themselves with excitement trying to imagine where in the world and in whose hands their Rosary will arrive

At the end of every field trip, the students are given a special call to action: to become missionaries for family prayer, starting in their own homes. We invite them to partner with us in Father Peyton’s mission to reach out to those who, like us, need daily prayer to meet the obstacles of each day. Our young missionaries are equipped with a Rosary and take-home prayer books. For their first assignment, we encourage them to start small with grace before meals and God willing one day their families’ desire for prayer will flourish into daily Rosary prayer h

LEFT: Students from Saint John Paul II sch RIGHT: Reply from a student when asked BOTTOM: Students packaging Rosaries to

The Father Peyton Family Institute in Peru Celebrates 25 Years

This fall we joyfully celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Father Peyton Family Institute in Peru

Father Fred Jenga, C S C , President, and Father Boby John, C S C , Chaplain of The Father Peyton Center, traveled to Peru in September to be part of the celebrations

Since its founding in 1997, the Father Peyton Family Institute in Peru uniquely conducts research to identify data integral to addressing the spiritual and psychological needs of local families. In response, Father Anibal Niño, C.S.C., Director, and his team deliver weekly programs to the community to enhance family prayer within the home. The Institute provides services that address the root causes of various issues while incorporating the core values of the Catholic faith to transform families and improve the lives of thousands annually through prayer, especially the Rosary

Survivors of domestic violence, teens who are perceived as “problem students,” men who are recovering from addictions, children who are students of music and art, and a very active

aerobics group for elders are among those who have had their lives transformed through the Institute

For example, the Father Peyton Family Institute regularly hosts “My Life in My Hands,” a program that allows children and their parents an opportunity to explore the power of the Rosary through arts and crafts. The event was held virtually in 2021 and it was a delight to host it in person this year at the Institute and witness families go deeper into their faith and transform ordinary time into extraordinary time.

Because of friends like you, the Father Peyton Family Institute is becoming a leading ministry in digital and in-person mission outreach to enhance family prayer in Peru. Thank you for your continued prayers and support which provide a refuge for spiritual growth at the Institute through family counseling, adult leadership courses, afterschool youth programs, sacramental retreats, and more

LEFT: The Father Peyton Family Institute team speaking with families about the Institute’s services at a local community fair RIGHT: The team in Peru gathered after a staff training

United in Prayer for Father Peyton's Cause

In 1927, at age 18, a young Patrick Peyton had dreams to leave Ireland and move to the United States He already had family members including three sisters, three uncles, and other relatives settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Patrick’s father, John Peyton, agreed that he and his brother, Tom, could make the trip to America and live with their sister with one condition, “Go down on your knees and make me a promise here before the picture of the Sacred Heart. From now on there will be nobody but yourself to advise you and to decide for you. But your first responsibility will always be to save your soul, and so I want you to promise to be faithful to Our Lord in America.”

Greeted by their sister Nellie, Patrick and Tom were mesmerized by “Scranton, the Electric City ” Nellie set up a meeting with Monsignor Kelly, which Patrick declined For weeks Patrick searched, without success, for employment Monsignor Kelly tracked him down and offered him a job as a sexton (caretaker) at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and he accepted.

Finally, while working in the cathedral, with the silence, peace, and joy of talking to Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother, Patrick experienced a sense of being at home and a place of happiness Patrick’s dream of becoming a missionary priest is awakened

This past November, 95 years after Patrick Peyton first arrived in Scranton, Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C., President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, concelebrated Mass and led the praying of the Rosary for Venerable Patrick Peyton’s Cause for sainthood at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. This service kicks off a monthly Rosary prayer series devoted to Father Peyton's beatification, the continuation of his mission, and all families worldwide.

Father Fred Jenga, C S C , leading Rosary prayer at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton, PA

Message from the Vice Postulator & Guild Director

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C., recently said during a meeting that the key to Venerable Patrick Peyton’s Cause for Sainthood is prayer! I couldn’t agree more wholeheartedly with Father Jenga. The power of family Rosary prayer is what Father Patrick Peyton wished to share with the world. He must be so pleased to see his ministry and Cause for Sainthood rooted in what he and his family practiced daily.

As Vice Postulator and Guild Director, I am privileged to meet and learn of people inspired by Venerable Patrick Peyton’s life, and the messages that “The Family that Prays Together Stays Together” and “A World at Prayer is a World at Peace ” Most people seek to pray with and for their families However, there are those who, in their generosity and zeal, wish to cast the net of family Rosary prayer and prayer for Venerable Patrick Peyton’s Cause to a wider circle.

A beautiful example of this is David and Ann Hawk from Scranton, PA. With the approval and blessing of Bishop Joseph C. Bambera and Father Jeff Tudgay, Pastor at the Cathedral of St. Peter, David and Ann, with the support of their fellow members of the Order of Malta, have begun a monthly Rosary prayer after the daily Mass at the Cathedral for the Cause of the Sainthood of Venerable Patrick Peyton It’s fitting that this takes place in the Cathedral where a young Patrick Peyton worked as a sexton(caretaker) when he first arrived in the United States For it was in this holy house of prayer, in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord, that Patrick Peyton allowed God to rekindle his desire to become a priest of Jesus Christ.

I couldn’t help but think each Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be offered, and Mystery contemplated of those gathered in person and online is an echo and continuation of a young Patrick Peyton’s prayers as he sought to discern and follow God’s will.

I wish to thank Bishop Bambera, Father Tudgay, David and Ann Hawk, the Order of Malta, Father Fred Jenga, Father Leo Polselli, and Cathy Downes, who have joined in this monthly Rosary prayer and reflection on the life of Father Peyton and his Cause for Sainthood.

All are welcome to join in person at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, PA, or online (https://www.dioceseofscranton.org/media/ctvcatholic-television/daily-masses-from-thecathedral-of-st-peter/) on the first Wednesday of each month after the 12:10 Mass

In Jesus and Mary, Father David S. Marcham Vice Postulator & Guild Director

Prayer Requests from Families Around the World

Let us pray for you and your loved ones. The Rosary and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are offered Monday through Friday for your intentions at The Father Peyton Center in North Easton, Massachusetts. Complete the prayer request form below and return it in the enclosed envelope. Please also consider taking a moment to pray for the intentions below sent to Family Rosary from families around the world.

“Please pray for my brother who is in the hospital recovering from major surgery on his heart ” Shauna, United States

“Please pray with me that my son and daughter may meet good spouses and begin their families ” Debbie, Dominica

“Please pray that I will be offered a new employment opportunity ” David, United Kingdom

“Please pray for the conversion of my son, daughter, and their families ” Marie, United States

“Please pray for the physical and spiritual health of my family ” Ron, United States

Prayer for the Beatification of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.

Dear Jesus, Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary His message is as important for us now as it was during his life on earth. We beg you, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification so that your faithful people everywhere will remember his message that The Family That Prays Together Stays Together, will imitate him in his devotion to your Mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to you with childlike confidence and love. Amen.

DETACH HERE AND MAIL TODAY

Please include the following special intention, through the intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton, in the daily Rosary and Mass at The Father Peyton Center.

US POSTAGE PAID CFS, INC. 02301

518 Washington St. North Easton, MA 02356

The Future of Family Prayer

Venerable Patrick Peyton’s mission lives on and flourishes today because of friends like you. Together our efforts have healed broken marriages, brought hope to the sick, strengthened family bonds, and helped many rediscover their faith in confronting life's challenges throughout our 27 Ministry Centers in 17 countries Now we have a new opportunity to partner and transform our world headquarters, The Father Peyton Center, into a sacred prayer destination for families and a dignified resting place for Father Peyton. We look forward to sharing more details with you soon.

The Family Link newsletter is published by Holy Cross Family Ministries for friends and donors of our ministry. Thank you for being a part of our family

Our Mission

A family of Catholic ministries that inspires, promotes and fosters the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families throughout the world

Our Vision

Holy Cross Family Ministries strives to be a respected and reliable catalyst for inspiration, support and dynamic content on family life through a focus on spirituality and prayer, especially the Rosary.

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