St. Paul, Minnesota, like its sister city Minneapolis, is known proverbially as a city of Lutherans, akin to the denizens of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegone, further north in Minnesota. But St. Paul is a place of notable diversity: not only Lutherans, but also Roman Catholics, a vibrant and long-standing Jewish community, and newer communities of Somali Muslims and Hmong from Vietnam live in the area. Minneapolis, for its part, is the home base of Krista Tippett, one of the most dynamic figures dealing with religious belief as it is actually lived today. The American Pilgrimage Project was fortunate to be the guest of Krista Tippett Public Productions at the organization’s stylish headquarters across the street from the Basilica of St. Mary. There we hosted conversations ranging from one involving a Lutheran pastor who is also a municipal trash collector to another between a victim of priestly sexual abuse and a former perpetrator of such abuse who is now reformed and involved in the movement to put an end to sexual abuse in the church.
The interviews below were recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.
May 30, 2015
More stories about: Catholicism Gender
When Monique Gamache Venne was a young girl, she was fascinated by the Catholic masses she attended, but after the death of her father in Vietnam, she distanced herself from the Church. Years later, she rediscovered her love for the mass and sought to become a priest. In this conversation, she discusses with her colleague Linda Wilcox her ordination and immediate excommunication.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
May 29, 2015
More stories about: Christianity
John Marboe has three jobs: as a pastor, a university professor, and a garbage collector. His experiences in these professions has given him a wide breadth of insight into contemporary American life, structured as it is within what he sees as a "disposable society." In this conversation, Marboe discusses his work and spirituality with his university colleague Sonja Ausen-Anifrani.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
May 29, 2015
More stories about: Judaism Education
Laura Zelle grew up in a Jewish family whose experience of the Holocaust was not often a subject of family discussion. In this conversation, Zelle joins friend Susie Greenberg to reflect on her efforts to keep alive her family history for younger generations by conducting interviews with relatives who lived through the Holocaust.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 28, 2015
More stories about: Healing & Recovery Christianity
Danny Givens underwent a spiritual transformation and was eventually ordained as a Christian pastor while serving a 12-year prison sentence. In this conversation, Givens joins friend and colleague Marea Perry to discuss his journey and ministry as a Black pastor working in the Unitarian Universalist Church.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 28, 2015
More stories about: Christianity
Karen Seay—originally a Southern Baptist—now lives an active spiritual life outside the church, much like her daughter Emilia Allen, who believes there are many different paths to ultimate truth. In this conversation, the mother and daughter discuss how they understand their faith lives vis-à-vis organized Christianity.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
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