Patrick Peyton was born on January 9, 1909, as the sixth of nine children to John and Mary Peyton. Every night, the family would gather to pray the Rosary together. The Peytons made a meager living on their small farm in Carracastle, County Mayo, Ireland.
In 1928, Patrick and his older brother, Tom, emigrated to the United States to find work.
He writes: “Not in our wildest imaginings did my parents or my brother or I dream what Our Lord had in store for us in America. He called my brother to the priesthood from the coal mines of Scranton. He called me from being the janitor in St. Peter’s Cathedral. In the fall of 1929, we entered the seminary at Notre Dame, Indiana. There, we continued the family Rosary with our new family, the priests, and our fellow seminarians” (All For Her: The Autobiography of Father Patrick Peyton, CSC).
In October 1938, while still a student of theology, Patrick’s health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis in November. His condition grew progressively worse. By October 1939, the doctors offered Patrick two options: a risky surgery with little hope for success, or simply to pray.
Patrick’s mentor, Father Cornelius Hagerty, C.S.C., visited him and described a passage from St. Paul, stating that faith is transmitted from mother to son. “You have the Faith, Pat,” he said, “but you’re not using it. You brought it with you from Ireland. Your mother gave it to you, just as her mother had given it to her.”
Patrick then prayed to Mary, Our Blessed Mother, for a cure. On October 31, 1939, he knew in his heart that he had been healed. His depression, darkness, and feelings of loneliness were replaced by lightness, freedom, and hope. Patrick saw Our Lady in a new light, recognizing how human, approachable, and sensitive she is to our needs.
“When I needed her and her power and her friendship, she didn’t forget that ever since I had been a little child and could open my mouth, I had used that power to say the Rosary; so when I needed her friendship, she was glad to give it to me.” Source /www.fatherpeyton.org/chapters/chapter-2
He returned to his studies and was ordained on June 15, 1941.
In gratitude to Our Lady, Patrick was determined to spend his life promoting devotion to her so that everyone could come to know the blessings she is eager to bestow on those who turn to her with confidence and love. Fr. Peyton remained faithful to that commitment until the end of his life. In 1942, he officially founded The Family Rosary. He promoted family prayer, especially the family Rosary, in parish missions, on radio, and later on television. He founded Family Theater of the Air, the longest-running radio program in the history of the Mutual Broadcasting Network for 22 years. His rosary rallies were broadcasted around the world via radio. He convinced celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Raymond Burr to lend their fame to the promotion of the rosary through radio, television, and film.
His famous Rosary Crusades took him all over the world and drew crowds of over 2 million people. His passionate and simple, unaffected way convinced millions to commit to praying the Rosary every day with their families. He radiated the love of God and inspired devotion to Our Lady. Fr. Peyton understood naturally what it means to be a man with hope to bring. He labored to promote prayer in our world. This continues today through Holy Cross Family Ministries which includes Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.
Even after undergoing heart surgery, he continued his work until he was too ill to leave his room. Fr. Peyton died on June 3, 1992, at 83 years old.
His final words were: “Mary, my Queen, my Mother.”
The journey to sainthood is a deeply spiritual and meticulous process, divided into four distinct stages:
Servant of God: The process begins when a candidate is recognized as a Servant of God. This designation follows a thorough investigation by a Postulator, who presents evidence of the candidate’s heroic virtues and sanctity of life, along with a review of their writings. This summary is then submitted to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.
Venerable: If the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, upon review, and with Papal approval, finds the documentation favorable, the candidate may be declared Venerable. This stage signifies the Church’s acknowledgment of the candidate’s virtuous life.
Blessed: To be declared Blessed, the candidate must be credited with a miracle that is investigated and attributed to their intercession. This miracle is scrutinized to ensure it is a genuine supernatural occurrence.
Saint: The final stage is being declared a Saint. This requires a second miracle, also attributed to the intercession of the Blessed, and confirmed by the Church.
On December 18, 2017, Pope Francis declared Father Patrick Peyton, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, as Venerable, recognizing his heroic virtues.
The Church considers miracles as signs of a candidate’s holiness and their closeness to God. These miracles must involve extraordinary healings that defy medical and scientific explanations. Father Peyton has been associated with two potential miracles, which are currently being reviewed by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The Dicastery will select one of these for further examination.
The Church canonizes saints to provide the faithful with models of Christian life and powerful intercessors, not for the saints’ own glory. For a candidate’s beatification or canonization, extraordinary healings must be supported by medical records and assessments proving their miraculous nature.
If you have experienced favors through the intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton, Father David S. Marcham of Holy Cross Family Ministries invites you to share your experiences. Please send reports of answered prayers to Father David S. Marcham at [email protected].
Dear Jesus,
Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together everyday, 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.
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