Church and State

              City councils want prayer to stay 
By MARY ANN COSTELLO  
Kane County Chronicle 
The cities of St. Charles and Batavia 
have long said a prayer before each city 
'council meeting. Officials said Thursday 
they would not like to see the practice dis- 
continued. 
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 
Wednesday to prohibit prayer at school 
graduation ceremonies. Justice Anthony M. 
Kennedy, who wrote the opinion for the 
majority, said the ruling was limited to 
public elementary and secondary schools. 
However, other church-state cases are 
pending before the Supreme Court, includ- 
ing Illinois appeals involving religious 
symbols on municipal seals in Rolling 
Meadows and Zion. 
A prayer has preceded St. Charles council 
meetings for the 16 years Fred Norris has 
been mayor, 2nd Ward Alderman Walter 
Foulkes said Thursday. "I think it's a fine 
idea," Foulkes said. "I imagine we'll con- 
tinue to pray before the council meetings." 
Foulkes, a Eucharistic minister at St. 
John's Neumann Catholic Church, occa- 
sionally says the prayer when no other 
clergy are available. 
"I think it's a shame," Foulkes said of the 
ruling against prayer at school graduations. 
"At one time that is what (graduation) was 
all about." 
Fourth Ward Alderman Jim Martin said 
of the council prayer Thursday, "I'm very 
pleased to be a part of it and I'd be sorely 
disturbed if someone told me we can't be a 
part of it." 
Charles Beckman Jr., a deacon at Evan- 
gelical Covenant Church of Batavia and 2nd 
Ward alderman in that city, has said the 
prayer before Batavia council meetings for 
the past 12 years. 
"I don't see anything wrong with it," 
Beckman said of the council prayer. "I know 
it helps me keep my cool. After saying the 
prayer I can't very well start screaming or 
yelling about something."