A Quiet Faith
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Date: 30 September 2009
Kennedy's 'True Compass'
For four decades, Senator Ted Kennedy was America’s most influential Catholic politician. But he kept his personal faith quiet, hidden. Jonathan Karp, editor of his new memoir, reveals the senator you don’t know—a man who loved the Gospel of Matthew, prayed over rosary beads, and spent only one day in bed at the end of his life.
Jonathan Karp, editor of True Compass, publisher and editor-in-chief of Twelve Books
Leprosy, Stigma and the Bible
Begins at 22 min 29 sec
When Jose Ramirez, Jr. was a teenager, something strange began happening to his body. His arms and legs went numb. His breathing became slow and labored. And large sores began to envelop his skin, leaving deep scars. At 20, after many unsuccessful treatments with Mexican faith healers, Ramirez was finally diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, better known as leprosy. Ramirez has now written a memoir which recounts his quest to accept himself-- as a husband, as a person of faith and as a worthy human being. Our story first aired in March 2009.
Jose Ramirez, Jr., author of Squint: My Journey with Leprosy
Remembering Father Damien
Begins at 37 min 43 sec
For another look at leprosy we turn to Father Damien de Veuster. In the summer of 1873, he landed on the secluded Hawaiian island of Kalaupapa, the home of nearly 1,000 souls living with leprosy. It was, in a word, a “leper colony”: the American government had exiled them there indefinitely.
Fr. Damien ministered to the island's residents for years, ultimately becoming one of them - he died of the disease at age 49. He will be canonized by the Vatican on October 11th. Our story first aired in March 2009.
Fr. Lane Akiona, pastor of St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Honolulu, Hawaii
Audio Postcard: The Muslim Day of Prayer
Begins at 45 min 14 sec
Last Friday, thousands of American Muslims laid their prayer mats down on the lawn of Capitol Hill. They came to observe their Friday prayers, or Jumu'ah, in public. For some, the first-of-its-kind event was a message to the country that Muslims are peaceful, God-loving, and above all, American. But the day was not without its protests. Reporter Elizabeth Ryan brings us this audio postcard.
Produced by Elizabeth Ryan
Soundscapes: Sacred Harp
Begins at 48 min 30 sec
Sound evokes the sacred like no other art form… it stirs our emotions and literally vibrates through our bodies. For the past few weeks we’ve been listening in on holy chants, hums and melodies. This week it’s sacred harp, an early form of American church music. There's no harp in sacred harp singing - it’s all about the voice.
Pictured: Tamara Harris, a singer with Portland Sacred Harp
Nancy Groce, ethnomusicologist at The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
