The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-06-05
Father Peyton,
Man With Mission
JOSEPH BRETG-

After something like 20 years, nv first glimpse
OF MN remains plcture-vlvid in my mind. | am talking
about Father Patrick Peyton, the Family Rosary cru.
Sadef VINO has become a world figure.
| was on the news staff of a big metropolitan daily
then, and SOMEBODY had said to Father Peyton that
maybe | could give him some ideas for promoting
the Big Idea that burned in him like a furnace.
lie seemed to fill the doorway of our home as
my wife and | greeted him. He was a great, rawboned
young lrlshman with the brogue in his mouth and Irish
pleueS punctuatlng the flow of his ~eloquenee.
On, ne was eloquent indeed-not with rhetoric or
oratory, not with anything practiced or polished or re-
hearSed, but with the gigantic force of one who could
weep for sheer conviction and from desire to convey
his message to others.
HOW ToucHINeLY SIMPLE the message was,
But what colossal obstacles loomed to be Surmounted
II the flaming fire of him was to become a conflagra-
ton going across America and around the world!
In the Holy Cross seminary at the university Of
Notre Dame, Patrick Peyton one morning had felt
his mouth fill suddenly with blood. He tried to hide
his atflctlon from his superiors because all liz wanted
was to 60 on to the priesthood. But Of course they
found him out.
In a hospital, the verdict of Xrays was given.
Young Pat Peyton, reared in a poor cottage in Ireland.
was In an advanced stage of tuberculosis. One of his
lungs would have to be surgicaly collapsed.
Because of complications, this demanded removal
of ribs, with accompanying distortion Of one shoulder.
Patrick Peyton resigned himself. He awaited the oper-
alton, praying for courage.
But an older priest, filled with faith, came to visit
and stayed to chide. He told Pat to pray to Our LADY,.
| have been praying to her" said Pat. And the older
priest lifted his arms and cried out almost in exasper-
alton:
Talk TO her. man. talk TO her! She can get her
Son TO do better for you than breaking your back TO
heal you"
That night, Our Lady must surely have felt the
force of the crushing eloquence of Pat Peyton. He
talked to her with everything that was in him-and
that IS a lot, as those who know him know.
Then Patrick Peyton, with a strange obduracy
that must have seemed prepoSterouS to the attending
physician, began to demand that new X-rays be takent
The doctor protested that there was no doubt about
Pats condition. But he gave in-as everyone must
give in to Patrick Peyton when his big heart is set
upon something. #
The new X-rays showed no tuberculosis. 4
N so PATRICK PEYToN went back to the
seminary, and completed his studies and was ordained.
and dedicated his life to the service of the Lady Mary,
The day after ordination, or perhaps that after.
noon, he sat down to think about what he could do for
Mary. One thought and another anne to him, but at
last he graSped one and held it firm.
He would spend his life persuading 10 million
American families to pray the Rosary together every
blessed day of their lives"
That's what he told me. sitting in our living room;
and | looked at him with wonderment. How was he go
ing about it? Well, he was writing to people, and giving
talks whenever he could.
ToLD HIM it wouldn't do. If he was going to
talk to American people, he would have to get his mes
sage to them by way Of radio. movies, newspapers.
We know what happened. Not only did Father
Peyton reach the people of America - he reached
those of Europe and Asia and Africa too. He strobe
across the world like a colossus, pleading for prayer,
prayer, prayer.
He is one of the great p~eace-makers of all time.
And now Father Pat has announced that all he has
done thus far was "only a n%ovitlate." He has plunged
into a 20-year mission of grace to the South American
this earth. May God hold him in the hollow of His
hand ~