PRAYERS IN THE STORM Driving through the French Quarter, I wanted to see how New Orleans' icons had fared. First on my list was the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the United States. Two earlier churches have stood on the site. The first was destroyed by a hurricane. I drove my pickup into the square as the hurricane force winds continued to howl. A homeless man appeared across the block and slowly walked my way, aimlessly bracing against the wind with his hands folded in prayer. As he neared, I yelled over the howling winds, "Are you OK?" It was a question I would repeat time and again over the next seven weeks. The man glanced over and mumbled something, shook his head and kept walking.