News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith: 2004

December 31, 2004 Lisa Lauck
At the Maronites Christmas party, the crowd was as happy dancing to the Macarena as they were to traditional Lebanese music. The Triangle Maronites, or Lebanese Catholics, held their Hafli, December 18 at Cardinal Gibbons High School because they do not currently have a church of their own. About 50 families attend regular services, also held at Cardinal Gibbons. The Maronites continue to hold fund raisers, like the Christmas Hafli, to raise money toward building their own church. Jordan Massad, left, currently lives in new Mexico, but comes back each year to celebrate with this "family" he met while attending N.C. State. He and Joseph Saleh, far right, 11, play a Lebanese drum, the dirbekki, along with traditional Lebanese music while Saleh's younger sister Michelle, 7, center, dances surrounded by friends.
About This Project


Ethan Hyman
"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.


Pailin Wedel
When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.


Ted Richardson
For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

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