Father Patrick Peyton, an Irish priest originally from County Mayo, could soon be on the road to sainthood thanks to a miraculous cure attributed to him. According to The Catholic News Agency (CNA) a tribunal based in the Diocese of Albany has investigated an alleged miracle attributed to the late priest and forwarded its findings to Rome last month.
The details of the possible miracle cannot be shared at this time said Father John Phalen, the president of Holy Cross Family Ministries.
However he did add that the case involves a man in his sixties who was admitted to the hospital with 'life-threatening, multiple organ failure.' 'His family prayed to Father Peyton and they strongly felt that he was healed through intercessory prayer. The medical community has offered information to support this belief,' Father Phalen said.
The man’s family is from the Albany area and were 'very well aware' of the famous local priest, Susan Wallace, director of external relations at Holy Cross Family Ministries, told the press.
'We all love Father Peyton dearly. There are many people who tell me every day 'Oh he’s a saint, he doesn’t need all that paperwork,' she added.
Meanwhile Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany and Doctor Andrea Ambrosi, the postulator of Father Peyton’s cause, have both reportedly asked the Albany tribunal to conduct a thorough review of all aspects of the possible miracle.
The tribunal findings are then assessed by the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints in Rome.
Father Phalen told the CNA that the Holy Cross Family Ministries which Father Peyton founded often hears from people around the world who believe they were healed by the Irish priest's intercession.
Wallace added that Father Peyton’s entire long ministry was rooted in the Family Rosary prayed in his Irish home growing up. 'He knew how strong that made his family,' she said, adding that the famous family prayer is 'still relevant and powerful.'
Father Peyton reportedly emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1928 at the age of 19. Ordained in 1941, he founded the Family Rosary apostolate in Albany, New York the following year.
Later he conducted Rosary crusades in 40 countries and drew 28 million attendees. He is best remembered for creating Family Theater Productions in 1947, which went on to produced about 600 radio and television programs featuring hundreds of actors and celebrities.
More than 10,000 of these programs have been broadcast.
Holy Cross Family Ministries runs a website about Father Peyton and his cause for beatification at www.fatherpeyton.org.