PEYTON PRAYER GUILD

Now, years later, Mrs. Howley was drawing upon her faith in God through her son, Joe, and their family friend, a priest. As we visited Mrs. Howley in her home, I asked if she wanted to receive the Sacrament of the Sick and go to Confession. Without hesitation, she said yes to both and sent Joe and his wife, Nichole, out for a walk. Afterward, Mrs. Howley told me that she was at peace, just where she wanted to be with her family and her friends, and that she loved Jesus and the Blessed Mother, who she had confidence was looking out for her as well as her family.

Two weeks later, Joe called me to ask if I could come by and pray with his Mom and family. This time, we gathered around her bedside, united in the bond of faith, family, and friendship; we said the prayers of commendation and called upon the saints and heard the hope-filled words from scripture: “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35) and “We have an everlasting home in heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1). As we turned to God in that sacred moment, I shared with the Howleys their mother’s and grandmother’s faith in God and the Blessed Mother.  And how she had prepared for this moment by living her faith year after year and how blessed she was to have her family praying her home to God. Joe told me that two weeks prior Mrs. Howley’s sister had come to visit from New York and how they had talked and prayed the Rosary together.

As we concluded the rite of commendation, I said the prayer, “May you live in peace this day, may your home be with God…with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, with Joseph and all the angels and saints.” The words are hard to say and hear, especially for someone we love, but it is the hope of every soul to be with God, and when our loved one’s time has to come, that they may go to God, and one day we may meet them again.

Both Joe and his brother Matt later told me that their Mom taught them about the importance of believing that God is always with us, that He is a forgiving God and one that we can lean on and make it through anything. They had seen this strong faith and fidelity to prayer, most notably after Mrs. Howley’s loss of her husband, Patrick, in 1988 and her oldest son, Michael, this past year and during her three-year battle with cancer.

We often think of Venerable Patrick Peyton saying that “the family that prays together stays together” and think about being united here on earth. But it also has meaning when a family member prepares to go home to God. For we believe in the power of family prayer to assist our loved ones home to God and our ability to be united with them through prayer once God has called them to Himself.

With an outpouring of faith and love surrounding Mrs. Howley, we ended with the Hail Mary that filled the room: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” What a blessing to believe in our good God and share this faith with your family right up through your last day on earth.

The Howley family harvested hope for the eternal life of their mother and grandmother by praying together as a family. May God bless Mrs. Howley and her family until we all meet again.

In Jesus and Mary,

Father David S. Marcham

Vice Postulator and Guild Director