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

March 19, 2004 Scott Lewis [/assets/story/image_buynow.comp]
Celesta Carlson works on her first hand-made rosary during a class at Lamb of God bookstore in Raleigh. Carlson wants to make a rosary for her daughter to celebrate her upcoming communion. "It would hopefully be something she would have for the rest of her life," Carlson said. "Then you can remind her of all the hours you spent making it," she joked. A person praying the rosary is supposed to meditate on various mysteries of Jesus' and Mary's lives. There are 50 beads in the loop of the rosary, with 5 addition beads on the extension that contains the crucifix, and each bead stands for a different prayer.
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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