On Saturday, 6 June, Holy Cross Family Ministries celebrated the grand reopening of the renovated Father Peyton Center in Easton, Massachusetts, in the United States. The celebrations included a blessing of the grounds, the recitation of the Rosary, and an inaugural Mass.
In addition to the Holy Cross religious, around 600 people attended the celebrations. Among them were many supporters, benefactors, and devotees of the ministry of Venerable Patrick Peyton.
The decades of the Rosary were led by five different families, who read reflections for each mystery that were written by Fr. Boby John, C.S.C., Co-Director of Family Rosary USA. Then Fr. William M. Lies, C.S.C., Provincial, presided at the Mass. Fr. David Marcham, Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, preached the homily.
Learn more about Venerable Patrick Peyton
Work on the renovation of the center, which also serves as HCFM’s international headquarters, began in 2018 and was completed in phases. The revamped center features immersive exhibits on the Rosary and Fr. Peyton’s global ministry and an expanded museum showcasing artifacts and archival materials from his life. There are new meeting and gathering spaces and a state-of-the-art recording studio. Outside, there is the Lourdes Grotto, where the Mass and Rosary were held for the celebrations on 6 June, and a beautiful Rosary Path.
Perhaps the most significant addition is the transfer of Venerable Peyton's mortal remains to the Queen of Families Veneration Chapel, located at the center, which allows pilgrims and visitors to pray at his final resting place, to pray for his beatification, and to seek his intercession.
Venerable Patrick Peyton was a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross known as “The Rosary Priest” because of his tireless promotion of family prayer and devotion to the Rosary. Born in Ireland, he immigrated to the United States as a young man and later entered religious life.
On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1939, he experienced a miraculous recovery from tuberculosis that he attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In gratitude, Fr. Peyton vowed to devote the rest of his life to spreading devotion to Mary and encouraging families to turn to her in prayer. Fulfilling that promise, he preached Rosary rallies through the world, often drawing millions of people, and he pioneered evangelization through the new mass media through Family Theater in Hollywood.
See more photos from the Grand Reopening
Currently, the Father Peyton Center, dedicated to his legacy, draws roughly 2,500 visitors per year. With the refurbished building and the veneration chapel, HCFM leaders hope the number of visitors will increase threefold to 7,500.
“With the reopening of the Peyton Center and the relocation of Father Peyton to the chapel, pilgrims now have a unique opportunity to encounter both the man and the mission that transformed millions of lives,” said Fr. Fred Jenga, C.S.C, President of Holy Cross Family Ministries. “We pray this renewed center will become a place of spiritual renewal where families can deepen their faith, grow closer to one another and discover anew the power of prayer.”
“We hope every visitor leaves inspired to strengthen family prayer, deepen their faith and bring Father Peyton’s message into their homes and communities,” added Fr. Jenga.