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A Journey of Religious Faith Through Philadelphia
             Keepin' The Faith Debuts On Free Podcast Tour Site

    PHILADELPHIA, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Even in the 17th century,
Philadelphia had a tolerant approach to religion, thanks to founder William
Penn, who had the radical idea that people should be allowed to worship who
they want and how they want. The history of Philadelphia's faithful, still
strong and diverse today, is summed up in Keepin' The Faith, the latest
podcast tour on SoundAboutPhilly.com. The tour is the seventh addition to a
new site created by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
and initiated by The Pew Charitable Trusts, featuring free dynamically
mapped and completely customizable sound-seeing tours of the city.
    Each of the eight segments on Keepin' The Faith focuses on Philadelphia
congregants, religious leaders and houses of worship that tell the inside
story on the city's religious culture, from past to present. Here's a look
at the segments on the tour:
    -- Christ Church: How ironic that lightning struck the replica of King
       George II of England's crown that was once perched atop the spire of
       this Revolutionary War-era church, now also a popular visitor
       attraction?
    -- Congregation Rodeph Shalom: As if being the oldest Ashkenazic
       congregation in the Western Hemisphere isn't enough history, this
       spectacular synagogue, designed by Frank Furness, also features
       displays of historic Judaica.

    -- Arch Street Meeting House: The only religious sect awarded a Nobel
       Peace Prize, the centuries-old Quaker influence is still alive and well
       in Philadelphia.
    -- First Unitarian Church: Punk rock concerts probably weren't what
       minister's son and architect Frank Furness was thinking when he
       designed this church, but this diverse congregation embraces everyone
       and even hosts indie rock concerts.
    -- Tindley Temple United Methodist Church: Generations of freedom-fighters
       have chanted "We Shall Overcome," but few knew that the genius behind
       it (and dozens of other gospel hymns) was a Philadelphia minister named
       Reverend Tindley.
    -- St. Augustine Catholic Church: Anti-Irish arsonists destroyed the
       original church in 1844. Rebuilt in 1847 and stronger than ever, the
       church reverberates with the "Our Father," sung by the Filipino in
       their native Tagalog language.
    -- Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church: The burial ground here is a who's
       who of 18th-century movers and shakers. And the church's history
       includes music, an appearance in a Hollywood film and even a touch of
       scandal.
    -- Masjid Jami'a: After the tragic events of September 11, Philadelphia
       Muslims found acceptance and tolerance here. Why was Philadelphia
       different than other cities around the nation? And what is the real
       Islam all about?
    The Technology:
    SoundAboutPhilly(TM)'s dynamic mapping capability is another unique
feature of the project. The Web site integrates the audio with Google Maps
to help people customize a map to match their selected tour, print it out
and take it with them as they explore the city.
    Listeners can hear any tour directly on SoundAboutPhilly.com, download
a tour or specific segments to their iTunes or other audio players or sign
up for an RSS feed to receive a new tour each time one is uploaded to the
Web site.
    The Pew Charitable Trusts ( http://www.pewtrusts.org ) is driven by the
power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies
a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public
and stimulate civic life. The Trusts partners with a diverse range of
donors, public and private organizations and concerned citizens who share
its commitment to fact-based solutions and goal-driven investments to
improve society.
    The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes
Philadelphia and The Countryside(TM) a premier destination through
marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the
region's vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit
http://www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in
Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
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