Witness: Archbishop Blase Cupich

A newly-prepared WITNESS interview with the current Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois will air this Sunday evening on Salt+Light Television.

Blase Joseph Cupich was born on March 19, 1949, in Omaha, Nebraska, the child of Blase and Mary (Mayhan) Cupich.  He is one of nine children, with five sisters and three brothers.  He obtained a B.A. in Philosophy from the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota (1971), and then completed his seminary formation at the North American College and at the Gregorian University in Rome.  There, he received a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (1974) and an M.A. in Theology (1975).  Blase was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Omaha on August 16, 1975.  He graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1979 with a Licence in Sacred Theology and in Sacramental Theology.  He also holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (focused on Sacramental Theology), grated from the Catholic University of America (1987)

Cupich was pastor of two parishes in Omaha before being appointed Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota on July 7, 1988.  He was ordained and installed on September 21, 1988.  He was subsequently appointed the sixth Bishop of Spokane, Washington on June 30, 2010 and officially installed on September 3, 2010.  He was then appointed Archbishop of Chicago on September 20, 2014 and was installed as the ninth Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, November 18, 2014.

Archbishop Cupich served as Chair of the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People from 2008 until 2011. He currently serves on many committees, including: The National Catholic Educational Association Board, Chair; The USCCB Subcommittee for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Chair; The USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Scripture Translation, Member; Catholic Extension Society, Chancellor, Member of the Board of Governors, and Chair of the Mission Committee; The Catholic Mutual Relief Society, Executive Member; and The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Board, Member. He is also Chancellor of the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. He has distinguished himself as a very articulate, courageous and respected Church leader and eloquent teacher on both the national and international levels of the Church.

Archbishop Cupich was a US delegate at the Synod of Bishops in October 2015. On October 9, 2016, Pope Francis named Archbishop Blase Cupich to the College of Cardinals. This interview took place in the studio of the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 1, 2017.