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In 1951, going to church on Christmas was a forgotten ritual in many of the small, rural communities of Central Maine. Churches built a century before remained abandoned after residents moved south during World War II, seeking jobs in the industrialized towns of New England. In Leeds, the Baptist and Universalist churches, built 200 feet apart on adjoining lots, stood empty—a reminder of the religious rift that had driven the community apart years before. But a group of 100 concerned Leeds residents were determined to bring their community back together, this time within the walls of...