Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: The recently inaugurated Peyton Institute for Families by the Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM) in Bengaluru is all set to strengthen Venerable Patrick Peyton’s mission of “teaching families to pray.”
The institute, an Asian component of a worldwide movement, recognizes the core importance that families hold in the life of a human being and in society.
The institute, which opened on March 12, is the third of its kind in the world sponsored by HCFM, and is designed to be a resource center for families in South Asia, offering counsellor training, family-related research, and media content creation. The focus of the centre is to highlight the life and vision of Fr. Peyton and encourage participants to always keep the spiritual wellbeing of families, especially in the face of declining family values.
Extolling the virtues of Rev. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., Fr. Arul Raj, C.S.C., Executive Director, Peyton Institute said, “Rev Peyton dedicated his life and ministry as a Holy Cross priest to Mary, the Mother of God. He is known as the “Rosary Priest” who tirelessly promoted the powerful prayer of the Rosary. Across the globe, many of his Rosary rallies attracted hundreds of thousands, including several in the Philippines and South America that drew over a million people.”
At the time of his death, Peyton had preached to more people in person – an estimated 28 million – than any other Catholic. It was he who first proclaimed the phrases “The family that prays together stays together” and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.”
To get his message out even more broadly, Peyton became a pioneer in harnessing the power of the media for the sake of the Gospel. His Rosary rallies were broadcasted around the world via radio. He convinced celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and James Cagney to lend their fame to the promotion of the Rosary through radio, television, and film.
By the time of his death, he had helped produce over 600 television and radio shows. He had also overseen the production of three feature-length epics on the life of Christ, divided into the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.
In June of 2001, the formal Cause of Canonization was introduced at the Holy See, and Fr. Peyton was declared “Servant of God.” A formal investigation into his life then began, the results of which were presented in April 2015 to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.
On December 18, 2017, Pope Francis approved the Decree of the Heroic Virtue of Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., thus bestowing on him the title of Venerable. The declaration of “Venerable” is the last step before beatification, which requires that a miracle attributed to the person’s intercession.
Fr. Shiju Joseph, C.S.C., who will take over from Fr Arul Raj, said, “Peyton was a man with hope to bring. He laboured with the rich and the poor, the famous and the ignored, to promote prayer in our world. This continues today through Holy Cross Family Ministries, which includes Family Rosary, and media productions.”
The new institute plans to develop programs to help families flourish spiritually in an authentically Catholic way.
Most contemporary families experience a high level of distress and many are in crisis. School, church, work, social media, organized youth sports and friendships all have legitimate claims on the time and presence of families. Combined with the negative impact of consumerism, drugs, pornography, violent video games, music and films and other activities, many families find it difficult to develop habits and practices that lead to healthy spiritual and religious lives.
“This is where the new Peyton Institute for Families can make a difference. We are focusing our efforts and resources on coming to know the 21st century family and its challenges through solid research shared with church leaders at several levels,” added Fr Arul Raj.
The institute will gather professional leaders in family spirituality for in-depth examination of the research and theological reflection on the best ways to strengthen families as the basic cell of Church and society.
Families are under more pressure than ever today making it difficult to find a spiritual connection. The institute wants to help families understand how to live as a Catholic family, provide them with best practices and materials that are flexible for all families. The institute wants them to know and live in a way that can change their family life and ultimately have an impact on the world around them.
The focus of the institute will be on the family, forging healthy relationships within family, cultivating family culture, etc. The institute will also offer professional training on practical aspects of helping families. It also plans to take up research on different aspects of Indian families.
The institute will leverage multimedia and digital media content to encourage, educate and empower individuals to foster healthy relationships.
The institute hopes to evolve, promote and disseminate dynamic content on family and relations wellbeing through context-relevant research, training and media work. It will also identify, train, and certify facilitators of healthy relationships especially in families.
From a facilities standpoint, the Peyton Institute for Families can accommodate up to 40 overnight guests. It has a state-of-art conference room, two classrooms, a spacious kitchen and dining area, and a large chapel.
About Holy Cross Family Ministries
Holy Cross Family Ministries is a family of Catholic ministries dedicated to inspire, promote and foster the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families throughout the world. Families are served through video, retreats, radio, daily family prayers via app or email, Rosary app, weekly eBooks, and reflections through social media and blogs! We provide for families 24/7 online. We strive to be a respected and reliable catalyst for inspiration, support and dynamic content on family life through a focus on spirituality and prayer, especially the Rosary. Ministries include Family Rosary (FamilyRosary.org), Family Theater Productions (FamilyTheater.org), Father Peyton Family Institutes (FatherPeyton.org) and Catholic Mom (CatholicMom.com). Founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, was known worldwide for his message, “The Family That Prays Together Stays Together.” (FatherPeyton.org)
For more details on the courses offered, click Peyton Institute for Families