Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Father Patrick Peyton's cause for canonization opened

This is wonderful news. No one save Archbishop Fulton Sheen did more to evangelize America than Fr Peyton whose famous saying, "the family that prays together, stays together" is well known.
Peyton, who died in 1992, used technology to reach more people than he ever could by person, founding Family Theater Productions in 1947 in Hollywood, said the Rev. John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries on Peyton's work.
He bolstered his message with Hollywood elites, including Loretta Young, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball, who appeared on his shows. He ended many programs with his catchy family message, now trademarked by his ministry.
As Peyton grew up in Ireland, his family prayed the rosary daily and it brought them strength, Phalen said. He thought the centuries-old tradition linked to the Virgin Mary could help other families.

May he pray for the Catholics in this nation who need his message of the family rosary more than ever.
HT AP

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