Father Peyton Guild Chapter
As a young woman, Mary Beth Legg worked at the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, across the street from the Family Theater Productions headquarters. “Every day when I went to work, I saw the billboard at Family Theater - The Family That Prays Together Stays Together - but I really didn’t know anything about Father Peyton at that time.” she said. “Now that I’m part of the Saint Charles Borromeo/North Hollywood Guild chapter, I feel that I have come full circle.”
Mrs. Legg learned to pray the Rosary as a child has been a devotee all her life. “I’m a very strong believer in the power of Rosary prayer, and I’m always promoting it,” she said. “And when I discovered Father Peyton and the Guild, it was a perfect match for me.”
Mrs. Legg had been a member of the Father Peyton Guild for several years when Jim and Jane Gillis, the founders of the group, planned a move out of the area in 2007. She agreed to take over the group and has been coordinating the meetings ever since.
The numbers of participants in the Guild chapter fluctuates. “We have what I call our ‘core committee’ of eight people, and we’ve had up to forty people attend our meetings,” she said. “We don’t keep attendance, but our numbers seem to be growing.”
Meetings are held three times a year, with a typical meeting beginning with Mass and the Rosary, then a light luncheon and a video. When she first took over the chapter, Mrs. Legg had speakers at each meeting. “I invited people who knew and worked with Father Peyton-- Family Theater staff members, movie stars, and those who worked in the film industry,” she said. “Once we had actor Joseph Campanella, who performed in several Family Theater Productions’ programs, speak of his experiences with Father Peyton at one of the meetings.”
She credits the growth in membership with promotion efforts, such as announcements in the parish bulletin. “Our pastor, Monsignor Robert Gallagher, is wonderfully helpful in that regard. He talks about Father Peyton and the Rosary and how we are waiting for beatification during his homilies,” she said. “It’s very helpful to have him involved in our group.”
Mrs. Legg has some good advice for anyone thinking about starting a Guild chapter: “Meet with your pastor first to get permission. Promote your group in the bulletin. Get as many people as possible involved. It’s not that much of a time commitment as meetings are held only three times a year. And the benefits to helping spread devotion to the Rosary and to Father Peyton are amazing.”