On the morning of March 16, Father Francis J. Peffley posted a photo on his Facebook page showing the odometer of his 13-year-old maroon Acura MDX rolling over to 400,000 miles.
He’d been anticipating the moment for months, posting photos showing his mileage climbing to 370,000, 380,000, 390,000. The fact that the car he bought new in 2009 hit 400,000 on his 59th birthday made the moment that much sweeter.
But he didn’t anticipate what would happen next: Six weeks later, his name was drawn as the winner of a new Buick Encore in the annual All Saints Car Raffle, in which parishes across the diocese participate.
“My name was on the winning ticket, but the mystery is where it came from,” said Father Peffley, parochial vicar of St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax.
The winning number wasn’t on any of the tickets he purchased himself — he buys a packet of 20 every year. “It’s a great way to support the church,” he said. (This year’s raffle raised more than $300,000 for All Saints’ building fund, according to the parish website. Participating parishes also get some of the proceeds.)
A couple of friends from his former parish, St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg, told him they’d purchased a few tickets in his name, but when he checked those, they didn’t have the winning number either.
“It’s a mystery how I won,” he said.
One possibility is a guardian angel — someone’s clearly been watching over him all these years, because driving a 13-year-old car isn’t Father Peffley’s only hazardous hobby. When he was a student at Christendom College in Front Royal, he taught himself to juggle, starting with bean bags and tennis balls. Now he juggles flaming torches and machetes, feats he documents in videos on his Facebook page and YouTube channel. “I taught my sister how to do this and now she’s my half-sister,” he said, joking about the dangers of juggling knives.
The raffle benefactor also could have been an anonymous parishioner from any one of the parishes Father Peffley has served over the past 32 years, or a friend from the Legion of Mary, where he’s been the diocesan spiritual director since his ordination. He also reaches out to 30 or 40 people a day with birthday greetings — a call, email or text to show they’re remembered on their special day. He keeps 12 binders of birthday listings, one for each month. “It’s an important part of my ministry,” he said.
Another possibility is that the winning raffle ticket was from one of his thousands of social media followers. His Facebook posting of the odometer’s latest milestone drew 1,000 “likes” and 969 comments. The post also showed the venerable Acura, with its “Choose Life” license plate referencing John Chapter 6.
Father Peffley wasn’t even on social media until a couple of years ago. “Phone calls, emails and texts were plenty to keep up with,” he said. “But during the pandemic when we started livestreaming Masses, I had to get on Facebook, and it’s been a way to reach souls.” In addition to videos of his juggling, he shares humorous religion-themed cartoons and tours of his garden, as well as homilies.
His odometer now reads 405,000 miles, and Father Peffley said he’s arranged with the auto dealer to get a credit on a new car when the time comes. But he wants to hold on to his Acura “as long as I can.” Two of his previous cars reached more than 200,000 miles before they died, but 400,000 is remarkable by anyone’s standards.
“I enjoy records, so I’d like to see how long it will go,” he said.
The rest may just have to remain a mystery.
