Mass by day, cabaret by night. The story of David Lettow, an American priest who transforms into a drag queen named Lina after dark

By day, David Lettow dons a cassock and conducts Catholic services; by night, he transforms into a flamboyant drag queen named Lena. In Maryland and beyond, he is known as one of America's most unconventional religious figures. In his own words, dressed as a grandmother in a bouffant wig and bold makeup at a nightclub, he often hears even more confessions than he does at the church altar.

David was raised in a religious family under the influence of his Catholic grandmother, who raised nine children. His mother worked for the District of Columbia police and concealed her homosexuality. From the ages of twelve to fourteen, the boy was repeatedly sexually abused by his stepfather, who was also a police officer. Unable to protect himself because of threats and his fear of law enforcement, David found his only refuge in the church and stories about the lives of the saints. He later found the courage to confess to a priest and was told that what had happened to him was a grave crime, not a personal sin.

Having decided to become a priest at the age of ten, David enrolled in a Roman Catholic seminary. However, its harsh discipline and the deception of the administrators, who concealed the death of someone close to him, forced him to abandon his studies. His first experience with cross-dressing came when he entered a Halloween contest dressed as Cruella de Vil. That was how his stage persona, Lena, was born, giving him a sense of freedom and safety.

David met Daniel, a biologist who became his first love, in the club scene. Daniel's sudden death from a heart attack plunged David into severe depression and alcohol and drug addiction. The crisis culminated in a suicide attempt, after which David underwent several operations and spent three months in the hospital. He came to see the experience as a sign from above and a chance to reevaluate his life.

The Old Catholic Church, which originated in the sixteenth century, agreed to accept a priest with such a reputation. This community rejects the doctrine of papal infallibility and welcomes all believers, including divorced and gay people. Today, David combines his ministry with running a farm in Maryland, where he lives with his 77-year-old mother and beloved French bulldog. He believes that he has the same mission at the altar and onstage: to offer people support and help them be themselves.