While acknowledging that determining what news events receive greater prominence in your newspaper is not an easy task, I feel compelled to challenge your choice for the front page of the Feb. 11 edition.

For the Catholic population of Maine, the appointment of a new bishop to replace the retired Bishop Joseph Gerry, beloved throughout the state, is a great event. It is my hope that those who govern this newspaper would agree.

To announce this dramatic change, the Sun Journal had a one-column article on the side of the front page with a picture to Bishop Malone about the size of a postage stamp. Had there been earth-shattering news, this slight recognition might be excused. However, in comparison to this postage size picture of the bishop was a rather large, about 6-by-8 inch picture of a lady kissing a dog, albeit best in show.

When considering the many critical articles that this newspaper has written about the church and its leadership, one would expect that reasonable attention would be given to this particularly joyful event which occurs only every 10 or 15 years.

One would hope that the occasion of Bishop Malone’s installation as the 11th bishop of Portland would receive much greater coverage as befits so solemn and joyous an occasion and one of such interest to thousands of your readers.

G. Michael Welch, principal,

St. Dominic Regional High School, Auburn