Regarding the Jan. 5 article “Maine is one of the least religious states in the country,” I once met a woman who decades ago was searching for a church to join after arriving in Maine with her husband.  

The church this couple decided upon was a very small one, fading quietly into oblivion. This, they decided, was the church that needed them. Today it is a flourishing faith community, bearing witness to this couple’s devotion to God and love for others.

People cite distrust of religious leaders as one reason to stay away from church. But faith tells us we all bear responsibility for how our church community thrives or withers. 

St. Therese de Lisieux was a 15-year-old girl, on a holiday outing, when she observed a group of priests enjoying a leisure moment. She was deeply struck by the immense responsibility these merely mortal men bore, and recognized the layman’s responsibility to both support and hold accountable their religious leaders. She devoted her religious vocation to praying for all priests.  Today she is the patron saint of priests.

My own church now presents, in its weekly bulletin, an “Apostolate of Prayer for Priests”; we are asked to pray for, by name, throughout the week, the priests in our diocese. By this we are reminded to recognize our religious leaders as fallible people, who need our  support. Just as important, we are reminded it is ultimately God we are called to trust, and not man.

Zoe Gaston
South Portland