HV/Series/Episode/ Work by: Noah Adams · Beverly Donofrio · Sound Portraits
Hearing Voices from NPR®
042 Yes to God: Mother Mary & Thomas Merton
Host: Beverly Donofrio of Nada Hermitage
Airs week of: 2009-12-16 (Originally: 2008-12-17)
“Yes to God” (52:00 mp3):
Sound-portraits of the Virgin Mary and a Trappist monk:
This week’s host reads a home for Christmas story from her book Riding in Cars with Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good (music: Trans-Siberian Orchestra “Christmas Eve, Sarajevo” & The First Noel” from Christmas Eve And Other Stories
In 1980 NPR traveled to the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky to talk to those who know Thomas Merton (), the Catholic writer (The Seven Storey Mountain) and Trappist monk.
Ms. Donofrio goes cross-country looking for those who see visions of the Virgin, a Sound Portraits production. 
(Producer: David Isay / Associate Producer: Stacy Abramson / Editor: Gary Covino / Assistant Producer: Suzanne Clores / Supervising Engineer: Caryl Wheeler / Funding: Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the American Sound Portraits Series. Original music composed and performed by Arthur Bloom. Beverly Donofrio’s book is Looking for Mary (Or, the Blessed Mother and Me).)
The Beatles song, covered on the Across The Universe.
Thomas Merton addresses Novices at Gethsemani, from the CD The Paradox of Joy and Sorrow, used by permission of Credence Communications (music: TSO “Midnight Clear” from The Lost Christmas Eve.
Xmas Xtras…
Here’s some more— Thomas Mewrton “Paradox” (1:36 excerpt):
Carol Woods & Timothy T. Mitchum “Let It Be” (film version):
That Beverly Donofrio piece is definitely “The Best of Public Radio!” Way to unearth that one!
Now I know why as a non relegeous person and a mother, I cherish the small picture of the Virgin Mary I bought in the St Columbus’s gift shop as a child…. after Mass in Garden Grove, California in the 1960’s.
This beautiful rendering is always by my bedside. Thank you for this wonderful report.
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