Description
Ralph Rath (May 22, 1932 - August 12, 2019) was a Roman Catholic journalist. The collection includes Ralph Rath’s essays,
articles and booklets. Materials also include conference programs, booklets, and magazines related to the Charismatic renewal
in the Catholic Church and statements on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
Background
Ralph Rath (May 22, 1932 - August 12, 2019) was a Roman Catholic journalist. He was ordained as a Chatholic priest on May
26, 1958, at the Oblate Seminary in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The Order sent Rath to California, where he taught at Catholic
high schools and local parishes. He left the priesthood in 1967 to pursue a writing career.
Rath contributed to two daily newspapers and seven religious publications. In the 1970s, he was added to “Who’s Who in the
West” while writing for the California Tribune. He met David du Plessis in 1972, and joined a charismatic renewal community
in San Francisco. The community joined the ecumenical People of Praise charismatic community in South Bend in 1977. Rath continued
to advocate for the charismatic religious movement by lecturing across the country, and authoring 13 books and more than 800
feature articles.