Bishop Thomas J. McDonnell had a deep devotion to the Rosary and like the leader of the national Family Rosary Crusade of the 1940s, Fr. Patrick Peyton CSC, McDonnell believed wholeheartedly in the Peyton’s motto, “the family that prays together stays together.”

The two were friends, and in the fall of 1951, Bishop McDonnell invited Fr. Peyton to tour WV on a diocesan/state-wide Rosary Rally campaign.

The photos on this page record those prayerful events attended by hundreds if not thousands of Catholics in each city.

Bishop McDonnell was described as a true missionary, an evangelist and friend to priests, laity, and non-Catholics. A “herald of the gospel… who upon the mountains and in the valleys of this world preached the glad tidings of the Prince of Peace” (as quoted in his eulogy given by friend Bishop Richard Ackerman, of Covington, Ky).

Bishop McDonnell was appointed to serve the people in the Diocese of Wheeling as coadjutor bishop in 1951 for Bishop John J. Swint. He was added to the office of the bishop to assist with Bishop Swint’s duties and travel around the vast diocese.

(A little Canon Law lesson (403-407), a coadjutor bishop is like an auxiliary bishop except that he has the right of succession.  When the Bishop (aka the Ordinary) resigns from office or dies, the coadjutor succeeds him. All offices of bishop – ordinary, auxiliary, and coadjutor – are considered successors of the apostles entrusted with the same office and authority our Lord entrusted to them.)

A stage decorated with flowers, string lights, and a statue of Mary. Many people are seated on stage, and a person stands at a podium to the right. The name Gruber appears in the lower right corner.
A large crowd of people sits and stands on bleachers in an outdoor stadium. The scene is in black and white, and tall floodlights and a press box are visible in the background.
A large group of people in formal attire and ceremonial robes stand in two lines facing each other at night, some holding swords raised to form an archway in the center of an outdoor area.
A large group of nuns and priests stand in rows on a field at night, facing the camera, under bright stadium lights with a dark sky in the background.
A black-and-white photo of a formal outdoor ceremony on a sports field, featuring clergy, officials in academic gowns, an American flag, a large statue, and mountains in the background.
A large crowd gathers outdoors in front of a stage with clergy and a tall statue of a robed religious figure with a halo, set against a wooded background.
A formal academic procession, with individuals in robes and caps, walks along a path in a stadium. In the background, a large audience fills the covered stands. The scene appears to be an official outdoor ceremony.