What if two natural disasters happened close to one another. Locals may certainly turn to the church for salvation, then for solace and finally for revenge during such trials and tribulations. Imagine if a Disaster quite coincidentally followed an Abandonment of religious principles. Victims may begin to look for someone to blame - priests, the unfaithful, even strangers who are just passing through. Civil Unrest, Riots and general chaos may follow.
People are complex individuals and in groups they are even more complex.