Kevin Ranaghan

Kevin Ranaghan (1940-) is an American religious scholar, Catholic deacon, and a founder of the People of Praise. He is married to Dorothy Ranaghan, and has six children and twelve grandchildren.

Early life

He was born in New York City in 1940 to Irish Catholic parents.

College

While completing his doctoral degree in liturgical studies in the theology department at the University of Notre Dame, Kevin met his future wife, Dorothy. They were married in 1966.

Religious Conversion

Kevin heard about a new work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of some friends at Duquesne University. After an initial period of skepticism, their prayer and study led him and his new wife to be baptized in the Holy Spirit on March 5, 1967.

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

In 1969, Kevin and Dorothy published "Catholic Pentecostals", the first book detailing the history of this new renewal movement, and articulating its theological implications, linking baptism in the Spirit to a renewal of the sacraments of initiation. The book was translated into several languages, and Kevin traveled extensively both in and out of the United States spreading the news about this Pentecostal outpouring in the church. His travels brought him into contact not only with Catholic groups throughout the world, but also with groups of Protestants from Pentecostal, mainline, and evangelical streams of Christianity, who rejoiced to hear what God was doing "among the Catholics". Kevin found himself serving as a bridge between Catholics and those from other denominations who, for the first time in history, were experiencing a simultaneous and similar renewal in the Spirit.

Committees and Conferences

Kevin was ordained a permanent Catholic deacon in 1973. He then joined the United States National Service Committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for 15 years, and for 11 years was its executive director. He has been a principal organizer of national and international conferences, especially the 1975 Catholic Leaders Conference in Rome, and the 1977 Ecumenical Conference in Kansas City. Currently serving as an ICCRS Council member representing the community expression of the renewal, Kevin also serves as council vice-president. He was a member of the council from the time of its establishment in the late 1970's until 1984, and returned to the Council in his present role in 1990.

People of Praise

Kevin was a founding member of the People of Praise, an ecumenical Christian covenant community.

References

*This article includes text derived from [http://www.iccrs.org/newsletter.htm the ICCRS Newsletter] , used with permission

ee Also

-The People of Praise