“The family that prays together, stays together.” Even if you are not religious, you probably have heard this famous saying before. Pray: The Story of Patrick Peyton explores the fascinating story behind this infamous quote. The sentimental documentary is an aggrandizing portrait of Patrick Peyton, a priest singlehandedly responsible for promoting the power of prayer to millions of people.
Peyton was a typical angry teenager growing up in Ireland. During a nearly fatal bout of tuberculosis, which unfortunately halted his time at Notre Dame University, he was left bedbound. His only solace was praying the rosary, which he attributed to his miraculous recovery. Afterward, Peyton made it his mission to share the glories of this form of prayer with the entire world, setting a lofty goal to inspire 10 million people. Peyton's idea was that praying the rosary would let families spend quality time together and give them the space to more thoroughly discuss their faith.
With his innate charm, strong and resonant voice, and dogged perseverance, Peyton was a gifted public speaker. His refusal to take no for an answer came in handy when trying to promote his rosary cause across various platforms. With his winsome manner, he managed to get Bing Crosby to read his message of prayer on the radio. This opened the door for Peyton’s collaboration with other celebrities of the time such as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, and Frank Sinatra. It is difficult to imagine stars being so open about their faith in our current era, which often correlates Christianity with anti-liberalism.
Peyton’s message spreads far and wide on radio, television, billboards, and buses. His “Rosary Rallies” swept the nation. The sharply drawn, black and white video clips of Peyton’s proselytizing clearly demonstrate his awe-inspiring charisma. Director Jonathan Cipiti mixes historical photographs, film footage, and various talking head interviews that elucidate Peyton’s impact with deft care.
Pray: The Story of Father Patrick Peyton is a brisk and uplifting biographical documentary told with affection. Although primarily geared toward Christian audiences, it is applicable for anyone interested in glimpsing a specific time period where a leader promoted a simple, genuine cause to better the world. It is incredibly moving to see so many people uniting for a specific reason in the name of faith.