Cross. Lifetime crusade Peyton was given very light duties following the completion of his theological studies. His first assignment was in Albany, New York, as the chaplain of the Holy Cross Brothers of the Vincentian Institute. 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. Utilizing radio, films, outdoor advertising, and later television, with the help of celebrities, artists, and advertising practitioners, Peyton was one of the first pioneers of evangelism using mass media. He would also pioneer in conducting public rallies to bring families to pledge to pray the Rosary as a unit. These Rosary rallies attended by millions would become the most significant event where Peyton could be best remembered. According to historian Hugh Wilford, "Peyton himself was deeply conscious of the political dimension of his mission, proudly proclaiming in a 1946 radio broadcast, 'The rosary is the offensive weapon that will destroy Communism—the great evil that seeks to destroy the faith.'" These Rosary Crusades were duplicated in different dioceses, with attendees growing in numbers. They took Peyton around the globe to locales including Brussels, Belgium, Madrid, Spain, Manila, Philippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Lima, Peru and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. With the help of a non-Catholic advertising practitioner, Peyton would popularize the slogan, "The family that prays together stays together." During the Marian year of 1954, Peyton brought the Rosary Crusade to Ireland "...where it was estimated that as many as 445,000 people attended his rallies." Death With the Cold War threatening new world peace, Peyton's work in promoting prayer was recognized by the Holy See. His efforts earned him the title "The Rosary Priest." Controversy hounded Peyton throughout his ministry as some accused him of being a front for American intelligence during his missions in Latin America. Peyton's Rosary Crusades in Latin America were funded and, to some extent, directed by the Central Intelligence Agency, which was interested in combating leftist political movements in Latin America. This came about through Peyton's connection to J. Peter Grace, the great-grandson of the founder of W.R. Grace and Company, a multinational corporation with interests in transport, sugar, and mining in South America. Peyton had met J. Peter Grace in 1946 on a trans-Atlantic voyage. Grace, who was involved with other CIA front operations as well, wrote to John Moore, the chair