Blase J. Cupich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Blase J. Cupich |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop of Chicago |
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Cupich preaches at a Mass in 2021 at Saint John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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| Archdiocese | Chicago |
| Appointed | September 20, 2014 |
| Enthroned | November 18, 2014 |
| Predecessor | Francis George |
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| 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. |
| Previous post |
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| Education |
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| Styles of Blase Joseph Cupich |
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| Reference style |
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| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Chicago |
Blase Joseph Cupich (pronounced SOO-pitch; born March 19, 1949) is an American Catholic leader. He has served as the Archbishop of Chicago since 2014. In 2016, he was made a cardinal, which is a very high rank in the Catholic Church.
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Blase J. Cupich: Early Life and Education
Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was one of nine children in a family with Croatian roots. His parents were Blase and Mary Cupich.
He went to high school at Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey and Archbishop Ryan High School in Nebraska. After high school, he studied at Saint John Vianney College Seminary and the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He earned a degree in philosophy in 1971.
Cupich then traveled to Rome, Italy, to continue his studies. He attended the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University. There, he earned degrees in sacred theology. He is known for speaking six different languages, including English and Spanish.
His Journey in the Church
Blase Cupich became a priest in 1975. After this, he worked as an associate pastor at a church and taught at a high school in Omaha until 1978. He also directed the Office for Divine Worship and led the Commission on Youth.
From 1980 to 1981, he taught a program for priests and deacons at Creighton University. He then worked as a secretary for the Pope's representative (called a nunciature) in the United States until 1987. He sometimes spoke for this mission.
Cupich served as a pastor at St. Mary Parish in Bellevue, Nebraska, from 1987 to 1989. He then became the president-rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, from 1989 to 1996. After that, he was a pastor at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha from 1997 to 1998.
Becoming a Bishop and Cardinal
In 1998, Pope John Paul II named him the Bishop of Rapid City in South Dakota. Later, in 2010, Pope Benedict XVI chose him to be the bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State.
A big change came in 2014 when Pope Francis chose him to become the Archbishop of Chicago. This meant he would lead the Catholic Church in the large city of Chicago. He officially started this role in November 2014.
In 2016, Pope Francis gave him an even higher honor: he was named a cardinal. Cardinals are special advisors to the Pope. As a cardinal, he also joined important groups in the Vatican, like the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Catholic Education. These groups help the Pope make decisions about church leaders and education.
Cupich also helps lead discussions between Catholic and Muslim communities in the United States. He is also the chancellor of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in 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)
See also
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
