10 minute read
Stories of Impact
For almost 80 years, Holy Cross Family Ministries has been committed to improving families’ lives and our world through spiritual growth by expanding engaging prayer and faith-filled opportunities.
Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “We cannot love what we do not know.” At Holy Cross Family Ministries, we prioritize and value every opportunity to advance the knowledge of and love for prayer and our Catholic faith. We seek to serve and impact the lives of every individual and family we serve, no matter where they are in their faith journeys.
The following stories provide a glimpse into some of the impact Holy Cross Family Ministries has had through your generosity by growing families in hope. These stories, and thousands of others not featured here, show the importance of giving families opportunities that unleash the power and promise of family prayer and cultivate Catholic families.
Virginia Almenar Robles has been stuck at home for thirteen months. The pandemic halted the flurry of activities that the ever cheerful and outgoing Filipina was used to. Nene, as she is fondly called, has been an active member of Family Rosary Crusade Philippines since 1998. The prospect of where her activities would take her was such a thrill that she was quick to volunteer for Family Rosary events.
Even if she found herself in a room with strangers, she was undaunted because she was eager to meet new people and share her faith and devotion to Mary and the Rosary. The months dedicated to Mary, May, September, and October were busy times because there were always processions, recollections, retreats, talks, and other activities to join or organize in the parish and at Family Rosary.
As senior citizens in the Philippines are still not safe to attend public masses and gatherings, 72-year-old Nene was disappointed that she could not participate in the May Flower Offering to Mary and the Rosary prayer in their parish. Limited by the social restrictions, she contemplated how
she could still honor the Blessed Virgin in thanksgiving for all the blessings she obtained through Our Lady’s intercession.
One night, after prayer, she was struck with divine inspiration! She brought out a pen and paper and listed names of friends, relatives, and former classmates—some of whom lived in her local community, some in different provinces. Some even residing in other Asian countries and the United States! She messaged them on social media and asked if she could count on them to pray the Rosary with her via video call on a designated day.
She pledged to call one person on the list per day and pray the Rosary with them - dedicating each decade for a special intention. To her surprise, spouses and family members would also join in the prayer! At the end of the month, by her small effort, 31 homes in the world were inspired to pray the Rosary. It is consoling to her that our Lord takes delight even in the smallest actions done with great love. Without leaving her home, she found a way to glorify the Lord and honor His mother.
TOP: Praying with a friend through her tablet, Nene remains focused in front of her home altar.
The Home Visitation Experience: HCFM East Africa
Pope Francis once said, “If Christians do not come to church, go to them.” This strong message motivated us at Family Rosary in Kampala, Uganda to start our home visitation ministry. We work with local Christian community leaders who identify families in need of spiritual guidance. Since 2015, we have reached out to families in more than 15 parishes.
Every Wednesday, we are welcomed into the homes of those looking to Family Rosary for encouragement, a listening ear, and prayer. The families we visit experience a variety of social challenges, such as poverty, illness, domestic violence, conflicts, and drug abuse. Consequently, they often suffer spiritually. We actively listen, offer counseling, and, most importantly, we introduce them to the gift of family prayer and pray during our time together.
Every family receives Rosaries so they can continue praying as a family after our visit. We also distribute Father Peyton prayer cards and urge them to pray for his beatification. We encourage them always to pray together so that the grace of God may keep them
together in good and difficult moments.
Families testify that this pastoral strategy has helped them discover the power of prayer and the value of praying together as a family. It strengthens them to pray over family challenges and seek God's grace in their daily lives. Most importantly, there has been reconciliation in families, returns to the Church, and promotion of family Rosary due to this ministry.
TOP: HCFM East Africa prayer team and the Lutaaya family pray over Elizabeth Lutaaya. “Thank you so much for sparing time to come to my home and encourage my wife and I in this tough time. Indeed we have been down. When we get people who stand with us spiritually and also encourage us to pray, we are filled with joy.”
The Lutaaya family
Sister Paty Rodríguez Leal, C.S.C., paints a mural near our Ministry Center in Mexico.
The God of Small Things: Rosario en Familia Mexico
Generosity is a core value of Mexican culture. Such generosity comes from the image of a caring, compassionate, and faithful God reflected in those who follow Him. At Rosario en Familia Mexico, the families we support through your generosity tell us how God is at work in their lives.
He often manifests Himself through prayer and the small things that family members do for one another, such as listening, preparing a meal, and helping with chores. Grecia, age 11, shared with us how she experiences God’s comfort through the small things,
Families in Mexico also have a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Parents teach their children at a young age to trust in Mary, bringing all burdens to her in prayer to reach God. Because of your support of Rosario en Familia Mexico, we’ve witnessed entire families praying the Rosary (often for the first time) and minister to families like Grecia’s through YouTube reflection videos, grief support groups, podcasts, and more.
“I find God when I get up and pray, when I spend time with my family, when I am grateful to have food and a home, also when I do my daily chores with joy. He is in the smiles and greetings of people, but He is also present when I am afraid and sad. We can find God in many other daily experiences; we just need to pay attention to Him.”
Healing, Teaching, Praying: HCFM Canada
In 1948, Venerable Patrick Peyton organized the first Rosary rally in London, Ontario. Seventy years following that momentous event, Holy Cross Family Ministries proudly announced a new Ministry Center in Toronto, Canada.
In two short, pandemic-challenged years, our ministry in Canada, with the vision and motto of creating “families united in prayer,” has established its presence in the Archdiocese of Toronto, especially among many Catholic immigrant families. This year we focused our efforts on three main areas: healing, teaching, and praying.
Inspired by Saint André Bessette’s healing ministry in Canada, we support and help bring healing in the form of physical and spiritual bread to Canadian society. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our volunteers have helped more than 15,000 people receive groceries and essential food items. Our HCFM Canada team also provides spiritual direction and counseling to seniors, youth, and couples.
Inspired by Blessed Basil Moreau and his mission to evangelize as educators in the faith, every month, we offer a discernment program for youth through Zoom, along with adoration and prayer meetings. Already we have ministered to over 200 youth in Ontario.
And in the spirit of our founder, Venerable Patrick Peyton, we continue his vision of “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” With the help of our devoted Rosary makers, we have made 40,000 handmade Rosaries for schools, parishes, and missions.
Growing Families through Rosary Prayer: The Father Peyton Center
“Prayer and devotion to Mary, our Mother, is the pathway to Jesus,” says Sean McFaul. Sean and his wife, Andrea, constantly seek opportunities to introduce their three children to prayer and have made Father’s Day an annual outing of faith. This past Father’s Day, they set out on a beautiful sunny day to the nearby Museum of Family Prayer to spend time together praying the Rosary at the outdoor Rosary path. As a family of five, each member led a reflection on one of the Joyful Mysteries by stating a prayer intention for someone. Sean reflected that the Museum of Family Prayer provides a marvelous faith-based destination, where they come together and bond as a family while encountering prayer on the beautiful grounds of the outdoor Rosary path. During their visit, they walked to the nearby gravesite of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., where they drew inspiration from the beautiful Rosaries lovingly placed upon Venerable Patrick Peyton’s headstone. Reflecting on their recent visit, Sean noted that “our visit to the Rosary path at the Museum of Family Prayer inspired us to pray together even more than before.” The McFaul family gathers several evenings a week with each member leading a decade of the Rosary. Grateful for the opportunity, Sean and his family departed the Museum of Family Prayer inspired by their prayerful time together at the Rosary path and gravesite of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.
TOP: Father Wilson Andrade, C.S.C., Director of our Ministry Center in Canada, with Rosary maker volunteers.
BOTTOM: Sean McFaul and his three children pose in front of the Museum of Family Prayer in North Easton, MA, on Father’s Day.
For almost 75 years, Family Theater Productions has produced compelling content to entertain, educate and inspire families. From our quirky, fun, and informative web series for teens and young adults, Catholic Central, to our latest inspirational film about the life of our founder, PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON, Family Theater Productions is committed to creating faith-based family media.
The testimonies we receive about lives changed, faith restored, and family members returned to the Church is confirmation enough that we are continuing Father Peyton’s legacy and vision of, “The family that prays together stays together.” But we are also honored and humbled that leaders in Catholic media are acknowledging our work for its transformative power.
Our latest film, PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON, has won a prestigious Christopher Award. The Christopher Awards were created in 1949 to celebrate writers, producers, directors, authors, and illustrators whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit” and reflects the Christophers' motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”
The Gabriel Awards, presented by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals, acknowledges outstanding artistic achievement in media that entertains and enriches with a true vision of humanity and life. Gabriel Awards are given to recognize the uplifting and inspiring stories of film, radio, television, and the personalities behind and in front of the microphone.
This year, Family Theater Productions received Gabriel Awards in the following categories:
Documentary Film
First Place, PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON
Teen Specific
First Place, Catholic Central
Teen Specific
Second Place, Lente Católico
Best Video for Social Media
Second Place, Lente Católico episode "Los 7 Pecados Capitales" and Honorable Mention, Catholic Central episode "Proofs of God"
We would not receive such acclaim without your faithful support of Family Theater Productions. We are grateful to all the families, educators, and friends who continue to request and share our work. It is our prayer that the media we produce will continue to reach new audiences and fulfill Father Peyton’s vision of, “The family that prays together stays together.” Thank you for all the ways you support Family Theater Productions and share Father Peyton’s life and mission with the world.
Behind the scenes of Lente Católico with hosts Esteban de la Isla and Diana Dorempz Campos.
