Beni Swa Leternel … Blessed be the Lord

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The kind of faith we just heard about may be in evidence on the streets of Port-au-Prince too. Several news reports from the earthquake-stricken city quote an often heard Creole phrase. “Beni Swa Leternel” — or “Blessed be the Lord.”

Some accounts describe survivors singing religious hymns. We asked the faithful at Brooklyn’s Holy Cross Church about that. Ludwine Joseph who we heard in that report agreed to sing one of those Creole hymns for us. The words are from Psalm 113 — and they begin: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

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MARCO WERMAN: The kind of faith we just heard about may be in evidence in the streets of Port au Prince too. Several news reports from the earthquake stricken city quote an often heard phrase, “Blessed be the Lord”. Some accounts describe survivors singing religious hymns. We asked a faithful at Brooklyn’s Holy Cross Church about that. Ludwine Joseph who we heard in that report agreed to sing one of those hymns for us. The words are from Psalm 113 and they begin blessed be the name of the Lord.

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WERMAN: The hymn Blessed be the Name of the Lord sung for us by Ludwine Joseph at the Holy Cross Church in Brooklyn. It’s one of the hymns survivors are singing in Port au Prince. Many organizations are accepting donations to help earthquake survivors in Haiti. We’ve posted their links at TheWorld.org. From the Nan and Bill Harris Studios at WGBH, I’m Marco Werman. Thank you for being with us.

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