A special exhibition charting the extraordinary life and times of the ‘Rosary Priest’, Fr Patrick Peyton, is to open in his native Attymass on Sunday.
Fr Peyton, who was born near the foot of the Ox Mountains in 1909, is currently being considered for sainthood.
He became one of the most famous priests in Roman Catholic history through his worldwide Rosary cruscades from the 1940s onwards, which saw him organising huge prayer rallies, attended by millions in cities all over the globe.
He also popularised the well-known slogan ‘a family that prays together stays together’.
Della Ginley is the manager of the Fr Peyton Memorial Centre in Attymass.
She said the centre, which opened in 1997, attracts some 10,000 visitors each year.
The upcoming exhibition was organised to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Fr Peyton’s All Ireland Rosary Rally in 1954.
“It is just remarkable the number of people who went to hear him speak all over the world, to hear his simple message on prayer and the family unit, and this exhibition will commemorate that work,” explained Ms Ginley.
Fr Peyton’s nephew, Canon Patrick Peyton, will perform the official opening of the exhibition, which will include photographs, newspaper cuttings, papal letters to Fr Peyton, and films produced by Fr Peyton’s Family Ministries production company.
The official exhibition opening takes place at 3pm in the Fr Peyton Memorial Centre, Attymass.
Visit www.fatherpeytoncentre.ie for more information.
