By REY FLORES
The new film PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton is “the inspiring true story of a poor Irish immigrant who sets sail for America in 1928 with dreams of becoming a millionaire but, with the help of the most iconic celebrities of Hollywood, ends up spending his life championing the message, ‘The family that prays together stays together’.”
Patrick Peyton’s parents, John and Mary, were the first messengers of the faith to their children and they did so by bringing them together in daily prayer. Their example left a lasting imprint on Patrick’s soul and inspired him to work to bring those graces to families — the Domestic Church — on a global level.
I know most Catholics know who Venerable Fulton Sheen is. Sheen pioneered modern communications media in order to bring the truth of Jesus and the Catholic Church to the masses. At one point, in the mid-1950s, he hosted the most popular primetime television show in America with as many as 30 million American viewers tuning in.
Until I was asked if I was interested in reviewing PRAY, I had no idea who Venerable Patrick Peyton was. Apparently, Fr. Peyton was no slouch either and, like Sheen, he became popular on radio and television, often having the likes of famous Hollywood actors and entertainers as guests and fans of Peyton. In the film alone we see old film clips of heavy-hitter celebrities like Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, and Jimmy Stewart — just to name a few.
On October 7, 1971, Peyton helped gather a half million Catholics at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to hold a Rosary Crusade. I found it ironic, but expected, that a recent Black Lives Matter protest and riot back in June 2020 drew only around 10,000 people, but the headlines described it as one of the most massive rallies in the city’s history.
The power of prayer and the commitment to bringing this message to millions upon millions of people throughout the world makes Peyton one of my new favorite figures in our Catholic Church’s modern history. I hope that this film has the same effect on many people as it had on me.
I’m sure we’re all familiar with the expression “the family that prays together stays together.” Well, we can thank Venerable Patrick Peyton for this. This message has resounded for decades now, most famously repeated by the likes of Pope St. John Paul the Great during his papacy.
Over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Only 1.6 percent of marriages where the family prays together end in divorce. “The family that prays together stays together” is not just a catchphrase — it is a fact. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is unifying. Prayer works.
So even posthumously, Peyton continues on his mission to raise awareness of the power of prayer, especially when families pray together.
PRAY is more than just a movie. The film will launch the PRAY TOGETHER NOW Movement. When Fr. Patrick Peyton started his mission, he set a goal of inspiring 10 million people to pledge to pray together daily, and he far surpassed that number. Holy Cross Family Ministries and the filmmakers are inviting us all to be part of this much needed epic prayer movement: ten million people pledging to pray together daily.
While presented as mostly a documentary, many people who knew, worked, but most importantly prayed with Fr. Peyton are interviewed, as well as the archival footage of many of Peyton’s Rosary Crusades and rallies. With a running time of only one hour and ten minutes, this is one of the more entertaining biographies I have had the pleasure of viewing and reviewing. A great film for all ages.
Family Theatre Productions presents PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton, opening nationwide in theaters on October 9, 2020. Visit www.praythefilm.com to watch the trailer organize a group screening, find a theater near you, and to learn about joining the PRAY TOGETHER NOW Movement.
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