Dear Co-Missionaries,

It’s been an amazingly full season since my last letter—full of opportunities, great blessings, and many graces. I have so many wonderful things to share with you.

As I write this, we have just finished recording another twenty-six episodes of The Choices We Face. It is amazing that this is our forty-second year of producing and distributing our flagship program, which makes it the longest running Catholic television program in the world.

Speaking of recording, since my latest book, The Coming Judgement: Are We Ready?, came out in June, I have done dozens of podcast, radio, tv, and print interviews with people from all over the world! The book seems to have met a need, as both the hardcover and softcover editions are already on their second printing. The word from our friends at Emmaus Road Publishing is that by the time you get this newsletter, the audiobook should be available, as well. We’ll keep you posted on the release of the audiobook through email and social media communications.

EWTN liked the book so much that they invited me to come down to Alabama and record a multitude of programs with them. I was invited to appear on EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Bookmark with Doug Keck, and on five episodes of Johnnette Benkovic’s program, Women of Grace, as well as various EWTN radio programs.

As I have shared before, one of the most important things that the Lord has particularly called me to do is to help strengthen priests, and in the last few months, I have had several wonderful opportunities to do so.

I was honored to be invited by Archbishop Richard W. Smith, of Vancouver, British Columbia, to spend several days with a team of key priests and lay leaders he has assembled to lead a serious work of renewal in the archdiocese. Monsignor Gregory Smith, the chairman of the board of Catholic Renewal Ministries Canada and a longtime friend, is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vancouver; it was a special blessing to spend time with him during these days.

A day later, with a quick overnight visit at home to unpack and pack again, it was off to a retreat house in Arnprior, Ontario, about an hour from Ottawa, to give a retreat to the core priests of the Military Ordinariate of Canada; Bishop Scott McCaig, another good friend, member of our Canadian board, and frequent mission partner, is the bishop of the military ordinariate.

While I was in Canada, we had a team in Brazil to help strengthen the really wonderful brothers and sisters there who are living in a difficult Church environment, as liberation theology is still strong. Our work in Brazil continues—while you are reading this newsletter, I’ll be in Brazil leading a retreat for priests in Brasilia, the country’s capital. A full report on our ministry in Brazil will be in a future newsletter.

I have a SURPRISE! I have written a new book—Hearts Beating As One! I don’t really consider myself a writer, but periodically, the Lord prompts me to write a book. While it is usually years between books, shortly after I finished The Coming Judgement: Are We Ready?, I felt the Lord tell me to put my deep appreciation for the events and people of Fatima into a short book. I have been speaking about Fatima for many years, as I think it is very relevant to the challenges we are facing right now. I think you will find it moving, and it is my prayer that it deepens your understanding and appreciation for the children at Fatima and the message the “Beautiful Lady” gave them. My favorite spiritual writer, Fr. Donald Haggerty, who has written many profound books on the spiritual life, really understands the book in the endorsement he offered:

This short gem of a book, a fruit of Dr. Ralph Martin’s long attachment to the stunning events at Fatima in 1917, is a rare work of love. Relying extensively on the memoir of the third seer, the Carmelite Sister Lucia, O.C.D., and interspersing insight from additional sources, Dr. Martin intensifies the great appeal of Fatima with his own very personal and profound commentary. I have read no book on Fatima like this—no one will walk away unaffected. Greater love for Mary, the importance of prayer and sacrifice for souls, and a realization of the current serious moment in the Church’s history, awaits the reader.

Hearts Beating As One will begin shipping early this month. It will make a good Christmas gift and is a good book to give to both a lukewarm friend or someone who knows and loves Fatima but would appreciate some of the unique insights this book contains.

I have even more good news! Over the years, several of us have been in significant contact with various leaders of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), and now the Church is recognizing the holiness and significant contribution of some deceased members of the renewal by beginning the process of canonization.

Of the four leaders of the CCR that have causes for canonization open, I was closest to Veronica O’Brien, Cardinal Suenens’ main lay collaborator. Veronica has an amazing testimony of long service to the Church. We worked very closely with her during our four years in Belgium (See A Life in the Spirit: A Memoir for stories about these Belgium years.) Gary Seromik, who recently retired from his decades of service at Renewal Ministries, has agreed to write an article on Veronica and the other CCR leaders with open causes for canonization: Pierre Goursat, founder of the Emmanuel Community in Paris; Fr. Rick Thomas, founder of The Lord’s Ranch, an amazing ministry to the poor based in El Paso, Texas; and Fr. Emil Lafrance, a priest from the Dominican Republic who carried out a significant healing ministry. Look for Gary’s article about these incredible leaders in the newsletter early next year.

As we near the end of the year, we once again hope and pray that you will remember Renewal Ministries when you make your end of the year donations. Your faithful support over the years makes possible everything Renewal Ministries does!

Gratefully yours,
Ralph

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This letter was originally written for the Renewal Ministries’ November 2026 newsletter.