How do you measure success in your family? Venerable Patrick Peyton wanted families to measure their success in prayer. His famous message, “The family that prays together, stays together!” Venerable Patrick Peyton was a priest with a mission that still inspires families today and will continue to do so for many years to come.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Father David Marcham, Vice Postulator for Father Peyton's Cause for Canonization, on my podcast, “Stand, Kneel, Now What?” While speaking with Father David, I learned more about how young Patrick’s family greatly influenced him as he grew into a great priest.
Patrick was one of nine children in a working-class family from Mayo County, Ireland. Despite everyone in the family having to work, sometimes very physically demanding jobs, his family always prayed a Rosary together at night. Father David described Father Peyton’s family as inspirational because it did not matter what had happened during the day; the family always had that extra strength to come together at the end of the day for prayer. The Rosary was their prayer of choice and what would ultimately be the vision of Venerable Patrick Peyton’s world mission.
Setback Led to Opportunity
On his road to priesthood, Father Peyton faced a few setbacks; however, as we will all learn one day, when God sets a call on our hearts, he gives us a way to accomplish it. Peyton would have to move to the United States of America, do some custodial work in a cathedral, and survive a near-death experience with tuberculosis. He held onto his faith during this time, asking for intercession from our Blessed Mother, and Peyton was miraculously healed! It was in this miracle that his idea for his mission was sparked. It was a mission he had only planned to change lives in the United States of America, but God's plans were bigger, and this mission ended up changing lives across the world.
Because of Peyton’s family’s commitment to praying the Rosary, he wanted more families to come together to pray daily. He first accomplished this by starting a radio program that prayed the Rosary nightly. His hope was that families would gather around and pray together. Peyton believed radio was a powerful way to reach the most people of his time, and that led him from local networks to national radio shows.
This was just the jumping-off point, because from here Patrick went to Hollywood and founded “Family Theater Productions” in 1947. Family Theater Productions hosted such guests as Bob Newhart, Bing Crosby, and Lucille Ball. Family Theater Productions continues to create content today, including a documentary titled “Pray: The Story of Patrick Peyton,” which tells the story of Venerable Patrick Peyton.
Novena for a Family Miracle
In January, Family Rosary and the Father Peyton Guild released a novena for the Intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton. During this Novena, HCFM was encouraging families to pray the novena along with their daily Rosary for a family miracle through the intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton. Families were encouraged to report any prayers answered through their prayers to Venerable Patrick Peyton, which supports Peyton's cause for sainthood.
During my interview with Father David Marcham, I had mentioned that in our day and age, maybe the true miracle was getting so many families to sit down and pray together. I am a mom of two beautiful children, and my family seems to go in all different directions every night during the week. I know I am one of the millions of families facing this issue of busyness. So, although it may not seem like a mighty, hit-you-over-the-head type of miracle, I truly believe that getting families to slow down and pray together nightly is a miracle in itself!
VenerablePatrick Peyton was raised with prayer in mind, became a priest with prayer in mind, and served his mission with prayer in mind. He is proof that when we put God at the center of our lives and our families, prayer can change us. I hope that we can all take his inspiring message into our homes and hearts: “The family that prays together, stays together.”
