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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate His Eminence Blase Joseph
4Cupich, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
5Chicago, on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal Priest; and
 
6    WHEREAS, A grandson of Croatian immigrants, Cardinal
7Cupich was born on March 19, 1949 in Omaha, Nebraska; he was
8ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on August 16, 1975;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Cardinal Cupich attended Saint John Vianney
11Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul,
12Minnesota, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy
13in 1971; he then studied in Rome at the Pontifical North
14American College and Pontifical Gregorian University, earning
15a bachelor's degree in sacred theology in 1974 and a Master of
16Arts in Theology in 1975; he completed his graduate studies at
17the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where
18he obtained a Doctor of Sacred Theology in 1987; and
 
19    WHEREAS, From 1975 to 1998, Cardinal Cupich served in
20different pastoral, leadership and instructional capacities,
21including as associate pastor at Saint Margaret Mary Church in
22Omaha; instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha; Director of

 

 

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1the Office for Divine Worship and as the Chairman of the
2Commission on Youth in the Archdiocese of Omaha; instructor of
3the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate
4Formation at Creighton University in Omaha; pastor of St.
5Mary's Church in Bellevue, Nebraska; President-Rector of the
6Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio; and pastor of
7Saint Robert Bellarmine Church in Omaha; and
 
8    WHEREAS, On July 6, 1998, Pope John Paul II appointed
9Cardinal Cupich as the Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, and
10after he received episcopal consecration from Bishop Harry
11Flynn of St. Paul on September 21, 1998, he served the diocese
12of Rapid City from 1998 to 2010; and
 
13    WHEREAS, On June 30, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed
14Cardinal Cupich as the Bishop of Spokane, a role in which he
15served as part of the American episcopacy of the Roman Catholic
16Church; and
 
17    WHEREAS, An accomplished scholar and theologian, Cardinal
18Cupich was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Scripture
19Translation and was the author of "The New Roman Missal: A Time
20of Renewal", a work that placed the new English translation of
21the Roman Missal into the Catholic Church tradition of
22liturgical renewal; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, On November 18, 2014, Cardinal Cupich was
2installed as the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese
3of Chicago, succeeding Cardinal Francis George; and
 
4    WHEREAS, On July 7, 2016, Pope Francis named Blase Joseph
5Cupich a member of the Congregation for Bishops, and on
6November 19, 2016, he elevated him to the rank of Cardinal
7Priest and he became a member of the College of Cardinals; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In November of 2016, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and First
9Lady Amy Rule led a delegation of more than 80 distinguished
10civic, faith, business, and political leaders, as well as
11students from two Chicago high schools, to Rome to honor
12Cardinal Cupich and to take part in his elevation ceremony; and
 
13    WHEREAS, A dedicated spiritual father and steadfast
14leader, Cardinal Cupich deserves our admiration and respect for
15his outstanding service, leadership and for his many
16contributions to our State and our nation; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
19SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate His Eminence
20Blase Joseph Cupich on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal
21Priest, and express our sincere appreciation to him for his
22inspirational and extraordinary life, service and

 

 

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1accomplishments; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to Cardinal Cupich as a symbol of our esteem and good
4wishes.