In Celebration of Venerable Patrick Peyton's Birth - Weekday Homily Video

On the anniversary of the birth of Venerable Patrick Peyton, Father Willy Raymond, C.S.C., past president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, reflects on Father Peyton’s ability to promote and share his love for Our Blessed Lady and his desire to bring family prayer to families around the world.

• He used innovative and effective approaches in the promotion of his religious and social causes.
  
  
• He was effective in creating memorable slogans like, “The family that prays together stays together.” This simple yet powerful message encapsulated the essence of his important desire and design to bring hope to all families through family unity fostered by prayer.
  
  
• Peyton was a pioneer in using mass media for religious and social outreach. In the 1940s and 1950s, he used the emerging medium of radio to broadcast his message reaching a vast audience especially through the long-running weekly family dramas called, “The Family Theater of the Air.” Later he embraced television and produced popular seasonal programs that attracted global audiences. He also ventured into the expensive world of filmmaking, producing 15 20-minute films on the life of Christ seen through the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. These were very well received and were proudly presented at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 as the Vatican Exhibit. They became a powerful and lasting marketing tool for Father Peyton’s Family Theater Productions.
  
  
• He also saw the value of celebrity endorsements. Father Peyton collaborated with Hollywood stars like Bing Crosby, Loretta Young, Lucille Ball, and Gregory Peck to promote his cause. They attracted attention and brought the cachet of glamour to his campaigns, further enhanced the appeal of his programs, and reached an increasingly broader audience.
  
  
• He used innovative fundraising techniques such as the Family Rosary Crusades in which families were encouraged to donate small amounts to sponsor a rosary rally, a television/radio program, or a billboard. This approach made fundraising simple and able to reach large numbers of ordinary people.
  
  
• Father Peyton also had a global outreach. His vision extended beyond national boundaries. He organized events and campaigns on a global scale, leveraging the power of media to transcend geographical boundaries. This outreach led to widespread recognition of his message and mission.
  
  
• Father Peyton was a pioneer in using highway billboards with simple memorable messages to reach millions of travelers as they drove increasingly popular family cars.
  
  
• He also used reliable messaging to great benefit. Father Peyton had a gift for delivering messages that resonated with people from all walks of life. His emphasis on the importance of family prayer and unity struck a chord with a broad audience and was able to transcend religious and cultural boundaries of all kinds.
  
  
• Father Peyton also embraced the latest technology. He was quick to embrace new technologies to disseminate his message. He emphasized the importance of staying current and quickly adapting to technological advancements.
  
  
• His legacy and ongoing influence were further assured by his explicitly encouraging successors to work as teams to continue his mission at Family Rosary Crusades and Family Theater Productions. But this legacy was more than words of encouragement. At the time of his death in 1992, he left substantial financial resources and a clear vision of the mission that lay ahead.

In summary, Venerable Patrick Peyton’s status as a marketing genius rests upon, and is attributed to, his ability to craft compelling messages with his team, to leverage mass media effectively, to engage influential figures such as stars and popes, and to employ innovative fundraising techniques. He left an enduring legacy that continues today to impact people globally.

His grit and determination, combined with his forward-thinking approach to communications and outreach, distinguishes him as a remarkable figure in the realm of religious marketing. He was truly a natural genius in marketing since he had no formal training in the field.

• Today’s Readings

• Father Willy's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

• To view the Rosary prayer and Mass streaming live, please visit our Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Please invite your loved ones to join us too! (If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)