Bush visit surprises Miami churchgoers.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Byline: William E. Gibson

MIAMI _ On his way to a boisterous rally during the final campaign blitz of 2004, President Bush swooped into a Catholic church in Miami on Sunday to the surprise and delight of a mostly conservative and anti-abortion congregation.

The Church of the Epiphany erupted in applause when Bush, accompanied by First Lady Laura Bush, unexpectedly made his way down the center aisle, shaking hands along the way. The president took his place in a front pew alongside his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, and Republican Senate candidate Mel Martinez.

The surprise visit was unscheduled but not uncalculated. Catholic Americans are a huge and much-coveted group of swing voters, and Bush's appearance called attention to his own religious convictions and moral causes.

Two days before the election, Bush's dual appearances in Miami were designed to reinforce his pitch to Catholics and Hispanics, voters who have deep roots in the Democratic Party but tend to share Bush's conservative position on social issues.

Pastor Jude O'Doherty greeted "the most powerful man on the face of the Earth" with a political homily that all but endorsed his re-election.

"Your support of moral issues of serious concern to us as Catholics is deeply appreciated," O'Doherty said, sparking more applause. "Among them is your belief in the sanctity of life."