You have to hand it to the gall of those pushing for same-sex marriage. (Letter, Mark Nordberg, Oct. 6)

After expressing sympathy for the parishioners of St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's parishes which are closing, where he has attended "some of the most moving services he has ever experienced" (thus establishing his seeming sincerity), he then gets to the real purpose of his letter. It is to inflame the anger of those parishioners and the public, and thereby enlist their voting support to vote no on Question 1.

He suggests the bishop is short-changing those parishes, forcing them to close. You see, instead of diverting time, effort and money from helping them stay open, the bishop chooses a "personal path of judgment and divisiveness of his own agenda" against the gay marriage law.

I am a parishioner of St. Joseph's and have been for over 80 years. Like all my fellow parishioners, I experience deep sadness over the upcoming closure of both parishes. I have, however, been sufficiently involved in the situation to know that the financial condition of the entire Diocese of Maine is such that the parishes could not have been saved, despite Bishop Malone's involvement in the referendum battle.

To suggest otherwise and to say the bishop has shown a real lack of concern is untrue, and hypocritical slander.

Jerry Clifford, Lewiston