HJ0171 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0171 LRB099 24453 MST 52241 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate His Eminence Blase Joseph Cupich, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal Priest; and

WHEREAS, A grandson of Croatian immigrants, Cardinal Cupich was born on March 19, 1949 in Omaha, Nebraska; he was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on August 16, 1975; and

WHEREAS, Cardinal Cupich attended Saint John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1971; he then studied in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a bachelor's degree in sacred theology in 1974 and a Master of Arts in Theology in 1975; he completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a Doctor of Sacred Theology in 1987; and

WHEREAS, From 1975 to 1998, Cardinal Cupich served in different pastoral, leadership and instructional capacities, including as associate pastor at Saint Margaret Mary Church in Omaha; instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha; Director of the Office for Divine Worship and as the Chairman of the Commission on Youth in the Archdiocese of Omaha; instructor of the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate Formation at Creighton University in Omaha; pastor of St. Mary's Church in Bellevue, Nebraska; President-Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio; and pastor of Saint Robert Bellarmine Church in Omaha; and

WHEREAS, On July 6, 1998, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Cupich as the Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, and after he received episcopal consecration from Bishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul on September 21, 1998, he served the diocese of Rapid City from 1998 to 2010; and

WHEREAS, On June 30, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Cupich as the Bishop of Spokane, a role in which he served as part of the American episcopacy of the Roman Catholic Church; and

WHEREAS, An accomplished scholar and theologian, Cardinal Cupich was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Scripture Translation and was the author of "The New Roman Missal: A Time of Renewal", a work that placed the new English translation of the Roman Missal into the Catholic Church tradition of liturgical renewal; and

WHEREAS, On November 18, 2014, Cardinal Cupich was installed as the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, succeeding Cardinal Francis George; and

WHEREAS, On July 7, 2016, Pope Francis named Blase Joseph Cupich a member of the Congregation for Bishops, and on November 19, 2016, he elevated him to the rank of Cardinal Priest and he became a member of the College of Cardinals; and

WHEREAS, In November of 2016, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and First Lady Amy Rule led a delegation of more than 80 distinguished civic, faith, business, and political leaders, as well as students from two Chicago high schools, to Rome to honor Cardinal Cupich and to take part in his elevation ceremony; and

WHEREAS, A dedicated spiritual father and steadfast leader, Cardinal Cupich deserves our admiration and respect for his outstanding service, leadership and for his many contributions to our State and our nation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate His Eminence Blase Joseph Cupich on his elevation to the rank of Cardinal Priest, and express our sincere appreciation to him for his inspirational and extraordinary life, service and accomplishments; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Cardinal Cupich as a symbol of our esteem and good wishes.