St. Giles Catholic parish in Oak Park had a health care discussion with two speakers, a priest-expert in health care issues and a promoter of single-payer care.
Ascension parish on the other side of town had a discussion which was sponsored by the Democratic Party of Oak Park until the pastor got wind of it — the archdiocese called him up when a pro-life parishioner from a third parish blew a whistle — at which point the organizers made new posters leaving the Dem party unmentioned.
At that, the pastor had to greet Congr. Danny Davis (Dem., Illinois 7th), a candidate for Cook County board president, at the door to tell him he could not be a speaker because he’s a candidate. This too is archdiocesan policy; unlike black Baptist churches, candidates do not find a pulpit in RC churches.
Ascension has turned up at least once before as a tilter parish, during the presidential campaign of 2004, when (as I reported) it sponsored a discussion led by a big-bucks Dem contributor and fund-raiser on how Catholics should vote. At that time the pastor, Rev. Larry McNally was caught napping, apparently the victim of overzealous parishioners, as he was in preparation for the health care forum.
McNally had earlier received a standing ovation at Sunday mass when he rejected “one issue” voting and called bishops heretical who said Catholics had to vote for pro-life candidates. If he was snookered by parishioners, he might have known what he was encouraging.
Blithe Spirit 
I went to mass with my mother at St. Patrick’s in Wapella the small town where I grew up on one of the long winter Sundays early this year…at the tail end of the announcements, a cousin got up and announced that there would be free soup in the Church hall that evening.
The entire congregation burst into applause, which was perhaps the greatest pro-soup demonstration ever held in Wapella.
My mom said things had been a little slow around town.
JBP
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