Catholic Archdiocese asks: Who should be the patron saint of potholes?

Michigan's roads need all the prayers they can get.

The Archdiocese of Detroit on Friday used Twitter to ask the public: Who should be designated the patron saint of potholes?

Of the choices — St. Christopher, the patron of travelers; Bl. Sebastian of Aparicio, patron of roads; or St. Jude, patron of lost causes — St. Jude was the top contender, based on Twitter responses.

Read more:

The lighthearted, informal poll was an idea of Ned McGrath's, spokesman for the archdiocese.

"After I hit my fifth pothole during my commute to work, I figured it would be better to pray than to curse. I started thinking about patron saints for tire repairs and tow truck drivers, but then decided we needed someone just for potholes," McGrath said.

"To be fair — to the saints, not the roads — we came up with three nominees. Any one of them is up to the task."

Catholics don't worship saints, but they sometimes turn to them for guidance or intercession in times of trouble.

One Twitter user, @PaulJElliott, responded to the archdiocese's tweet with this bit of wisdom: "The road of good intentions is paved with potholes."

Another user, @MFelten25, paid homage to the Beatles: "Hey Jude. Don't make it bad. Take a bad road and make it better."

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.