Betty and Noel have been married for 48 years and have spent 37 of those years living in Blue Hill, Maine where they raised their family.

In her role as chaplain at Northfield Mount Hermon School (1997-2005), Betty became aware of the need for greater spiritual inclusivity among the large and culturally diverse student body. "One Light, Many Candles" had it's germination in the interfaith services Betty held monthly, with students of various faiths reading from their holy books accompainied by Noel's music and music indigenous to other cultures.

The word interfaith  was eventually replaced by the word multifaith since it more accurately describes standing strong in ones own faith, while reaching out a hand of tolerance, understanding and respect to those of other beliefs.

Recognizing love as the common calling to many different faiths, Betty and Noel's presentation continues to evolve by referencing espressions of the Divine from a myriad of spiritual leaders and from literature of many cultures. The program shifts dynamically from the spoken word to the sung word and back again, with Betty reading and Noel singing.

GODSPEED INSTITUTE interview:
Listen to Noel & Betty share about their life and what has touched them and upheld them, including music, faith and love. Click here

"...For myself, I believe that the Divine Mystery I call God is One. That it is the same One  that the Muslims call upon, the same One the Christians recognize in Jesus, the same One that the Buddhists seek within, the same One honored by the Jews, the same One seen in nature by the pagans, and the same One  denied by the atheists."

-Betty Stookey

"...and who's to say the universe is but a single thought contained within the mind of God and who's to say it's not? If Love is the lesson then how's the teacher taught? Our lives are connected like pages in a book. The past is the present through which the future looks. Like leaves on a river, like ripples in a brook... our lives are connected."

-Facets of the Jewel ©1996
Noel Paul Stookey

"Gratitude for your Light, your Hearts and your Voices in Norwich will stay with me.  What a spark you have left in our little VT town. You have filled us all with such energy and such hope. I shall remember your spirited faces and your powerful message for always. One Light, Many Candles was pure delight and a much needed gift to our whole wide world. Our candles are lit.

With deep appreciation and love,"

Jody B.
Thetford, Vermont

Elizabeth Bannard Stookey, known as Betty to friends and family, is an ordained UCC minister, business woman, teacher, wife and mother. She holds masters degrees in ESL (Columbia University), French (Universite de Grenoble) and Divinity (Harvard). Since her childhood, Betty has understood the  beauty of diversity, rather than its problems. Hers is a multi-faith vision, one that she believes will help us learn to appreciate, honor and respect the communal truth of another's faith tradition.

Singer/songwriter Noel Paul Stookey has been altering the musical and ethical landscape of this country and of the world for decades, both as 'Paul' of the legendary trio Peter Paul and Mary, and as an independent musician who believes passionately in bringing the spiritual element into the practice of daily life. Funny, irreverently reverent, thoughtful, compassionate - Stookey's vocal sound is known across this land, from the iconic "Wedding Song" to "In These Times".