What Susan Saint James Said About Religion
Susan Saint James had a Catholic background. She recalled Catholic boarding school and a year teaching CCD, or Catholic religious education, in an October 14, 2010, Connecticut Magazine interview.
Those details showed both early religious schooling and later involvement in church life. They did not provide a full account of her beliefs throughout adulthood or establish a particular parish membership at the end of her life.
The actress, known for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, died on October 26, 2026, at age 80. Remembering her faith requires care with what she actually said.
Her Words About God and Grief
After her son Teddy’s death in 2004, Saint James urged her children to allow sadness without becoming consumed by anger. Her family’s October 27, 2026, statement to People recalled her words: “God doesn’t make planes crash.”
That recollection showed how she had tried to comfort her family. It was a personal response to loss, not a detailed explanation of why suffering happens. A short statement made in grief should be treated with tenderness and read in its setting.
A Life That Included Service
Saint James also devoted time to Special Olympics. In her own tribute to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, she remembered meeting Shriver at the California State Games in 1972. She described years of working alongside her with athletes, families, volunteers, and community leaders. Shriver had become a model for her approach to service.
The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame also documented her work with international and Connecticut Special Olympics boards. This was a substantial part of her public life beyond acting.
Such service matters when describing someone’s life. It should be appreciated for the people it helped. It cannot, by itself, tell readers everything about the person’s faith in Christ.
The Bible Makes Room for Tears
Saint James’s response to loss brings readers to a question many families face: Does faith require us to stop feeling grief? The Bible’s answer is no. When Jesus stood near Lazarus’s tomb, he wept (John 11:32–36). His tears show that sorrow is not automatically a failure of trust.
Romans 12:15 calls believers to weep with those who weep. That instruction asks for presence and compassion. It does not tell Christians to hurry hurting people toward an explanation or demand that they smile.
Scripture also allows honest questions. The writer of Psalm 13 asks how long his sorrow will last, then turns toward God in trust. Faith and tears can exist together. Christians should be careful about claiming to know God’s specific reason for another family’s tragedy.
Compassion and the Limits of a Public Record
Jesus’s parable of the good Samaritan makes love of neighbor concrete. Compassion leads to practical care for a person in need (Luke 10:25–37). Remembering Saint James’s volunteer work can prompt readers to ask whom they could notice, include, or help.
Yet Christianity also teaches that even generous people need forgiveness. A record of service is not a substitute for reconciliation with God. Nor can a celebrity’s charitable work prove a private conversion experience that she did not describe publicly.
The Gospel and a Careful Answer
All people have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, became human and lived without sin. He died on the cross for our sins and rose bodily from the dead. The Christian promise rests on his finished work, not on fame, family background, or a person’s ability to stay strong (Romans 3:23; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
God offers salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Jesus calls people to repent, turning from sin and trusting him. Good works are the fruit of that grace, not its purchase price (Ephesians 2:8–10; Mark 1:15).
Was Susan Saint James a Christian? Her public record supported Catholic roots, church participation, and belief expressed in language about God. It did not answer every question about her personal faith. That limit calls for an honest account, without a claim about her eternal destiny.
Sources
- Connecticut Magazine: direct interview, October 14, 2010.
- People, republished by AOL: obituary and family statement, October 27, 2026.
- Special Olympics: Saint James’s tribute to Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
- Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame: Susan Saint James biography.
Photo: Universal Television. Wikimedia Commons; Public domain in the United States — published 1969 without copyright notice.
