Family Rosary Crusade - Influences On Building The Crusade

Influences On Building The Crusade

• Irish Catholic upbringing - Father Patrick Peyton of the Congregation of Holy Cross was born in CatholicIreland at a time of hardships in the early years of the 20th century. His family were basically farmers whose faith is tightly loyal to the Catholic Church. Praying the Rosary as a family was a practice followed religiously by the Peyton family.

• Discovering priestly vocation - As a child, Father Peyton had early inclinations in pursuing a vocation as a priest but due to poverty and the need to help his family in Ireland earn a living, the pursuit for a vocation did not bear fruit until he was already in his twenties when he arrived as migrant to the United States.

• Passion for welfare of families - As a seminarian discovering his personal mission for God in the scenic and rustic surroundings of University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Father Peyton was passionate over the spiritual welfare of families especially those living in squalor who were affected by the Great Depression.

• Marian intercession - Discovering that he had an incurable tuberculosis, Father Peyton turned despondent but this did not stop him from hoping for a cure. Father Peyton surrendered himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, leaving his faith to live or die to her intercession. Peyton immersed himself in meditation while praying the Rosary. A few months later, doctors discovered that all traces of tuberculosis in his body disappeared. This miracle would in turn make Father Peyton an intensely devout Marian who in his remaining lifetime would do nothing but promote the Rosary and profess his affection to all towards the Blessed Mother.

• A war destroying families - The war in Europe and the Pacific was sorely dividing and hurting families in America whose sons were sent abroad to fight the war and this inspired Father Peyton to preach a message of hope, the power of prayers.