"Catholic congregations and leaders ...were central in the push for payday lending reform in nearby Arlington. Father Daniel Kelley of St. Joseph Catholic Church was particularly influential. In addition, the Texas Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of Texas' Catholic bishops, worked directly on payday lending reform at the state and local level, and also participated in Dallas Area Interfaith and Faith Leaders for Fair Lending.

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As part of a two-pronged approach to restrict payday lenders, the North Texas IAF succeeded in persuading the Council to pass zoning restrictions which would separate payday and auto-title lenders from banks, credit unions and more traditional financial institutions, while also requiring them to seek a specific-use permit from the council. The purpose of this would be to prevent high concentrations of payday lenders in low-income (or any) neighborhoods and would apply to new businesses.

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After undergoing a congregational development process in partnership with the North Texas IAF that involved 3,000 parishioners – 600 of which participated in small group encounters led by 80 ministry leaders -- leaders of St. Joseph's Catholic Parish in Arlington, Texas were astounded by the number of stories about payday lending.

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Fr. Daniel Kelly of St. Joseph Catholic Church and North Texas IAF -- in partnership with the Texas Catholic Conference -- hosted a press conference at his church announcing a coordinated interfaith effort to place limits on payday and title loan lending. Says Kelly, "every week another member of my parish tells me a horror story about one of these loans. They debilitate our families."

Congregational members and allies were joined by the Catholic Bishops of Texas in the public call for tougher regulations.

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