Blase J. Cupich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Blase Joseph Cupich |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop of Chicago |
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Cardinal Cupich preaches at mass on March 14, 2021, at Saint John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, MN.
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| Archdiocese | Chicago |
| See | Chicago |
| Appointed | September 20, 2014 |
| Enthroned | November 18, 2014 |
| Predecessor | Francis George |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola Congregation for Bishops Chancellor of Catholic Extension |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 16, 1975 |
| Consecration | September 21, 1998 by Harry Joseph Flynn |
| Created Cardinal | November 19, 2016 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Blase Joseph Cupich |
| Born | March 19, 1949 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | Blase and Mary (née Mayhan) Cupich |
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| Alma mater |
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| Motto | Peace be with you (John 20:21) |
Blase Joseph Cupich ( SOO-pitch; March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, a cardinal who serves as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Early life and education
Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska, into a family of Croatian descent, as one of the nine children of Blase and Mary (née Mayhan) Cupich. He attended Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey and High School in Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Archbishop Ryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Cupich then studied at Saint John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, obtaining his Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1971. Cupich went to Rome to study at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1974 and a Master of Theology degree in 1975. He speaks six languages, including English and Spanish.
Career
Cupich was ordained a priest in 1975. After his ordination, he served as both associate pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish and instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha until 1978. He served as director of the Office for Divine Worship and as chair of the Commission on Youth from 1978 to 1981.
From 1980 to 1981, Cupich was an instructor in the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate Formation at Creighton University in Omaha. He then served as secretary of the nunciature to the United States until 1987, and occasionally acted as spokesman for the mission. Cupich was pastor of St. Mary Parish in Bellevue, Nebraska, from 1987 to 1989, president-rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, from 1989 to 1996, and pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha from 1997 to 1998.
He was named Bishop of Rapid City in South Dakota, by Pope John Paul II in 1998. Cupich was then named bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. After being chosen by Pope Francis to succeed Cardinal Francis George as Archbishop of Chicago, Cupich was installed there in 2014. He was subsequently also appointed to the Roman Curia's Congregation for Bishops, which plays a role in advising the pope on episcopal matters, including appointments. Named to the College of Cardinals in 2016, Cupich was additionally appointed to the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Cupich is the Catholic co-chair of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, sponsored by the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB. He is chancellor of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
Images for kids
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Cupich praying at a 2017 Good Friday demonstration against gun violence in Chicago with then-state Rep. David S. Olsen (on the right)
