Peyton was the sixth in a profoundly religious family of five girls and four boys living in a small cottage on a 14-acre (5.7 ha) stony farmland near the foot of the Ox Mountains.

The two took the train from New York to Pennsylvania and lived at the home of their married sister Beatrice, who was working as a housekeeper for Thomas J. Baldrige, the state Attorney General.

By June 1928, with hard luck in finding a job, Peyton finally met Monsignor Kelly and was offered a position as the cathedral's sexton.

[3] Peyton took the job with initial hesitation, but his daily presence at the cathedral brought back the calling for a vocation, and he finally decided to pursue the priesthood.

Father Cornelius Hagerty was influential in this stage of Peyton's life, encouraging the young seminarian to seek the Blessed Virgin Mary's help.

On June 15, 1941, Peyton and his brother Thomas were ordained[2] at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame as members of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Peyton started sending letters to bishops, the Catholic laity, and other groups promoting the importance of families praying the rosary as the war raged on.

They took Peyton around the globe to Brussels, Belgium, Madrid, Spain, Manila, Philippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Lima, Peru and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Grace, who was involved with other CIA front operations as well, wrote to John Moore, the chair of the Business Advisory Council, and the two men approached Allen Dulles.

[7] While the CIA determined the Crusades' locations, it did not influence the content or Peyton's goal of promoting family prayer – the rosary and devotion to the Blessed Mother.

[citation needed] Peyton died on June 3, 1992, holding a rosary in a small room at the Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Residence in San Pedro, California.

On December 8, 1992, at the Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin led the celebrations for the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Family Rosary Crusade; the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony was sent as Papal Legate on behalf of Pope John Paul II.

Peyton also encouraged many businesses to make and sell large amounts of Rosaries for distribution, which he gave freely to impoverished Filipinos living in the slums.

[8] Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley announced a formal declaration, opening the cause for beatification of Father Peyton on June 1, 2001, a few days after receiving approval from the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.