Curran, who has served at St. Pius V since 2001, had avoided a premature ending to his appointment at St. Pius V after the parish announced last fall it would honor Attorney General Lisa Madigan for supporting its domestic violence program. The award irked superiors because Madigan supports abortion rights. The event also took place just a few days before Madigan's re-election, which made the award seem like an endorsement. Dozens of community leaders and politicians came out to the parish to show support for Curran's ministry, including then-Republican state Rep. Tom Cross, Democratic U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.