Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich, Metropolitan Archbishop of Chicago, United States of America, was born in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., on March 19th, 1949. After attending the customary primary and secondary schools, he attended the "College of St. Thomas" in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1971. From 1971 to 1975 he was student at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1979 he obtained a licentiate and in 1987 a Doctorate in sacramental theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

He was ordained a priest on August 16th, 1975 for the archdiocese of Omaha.

After priestly ordination he held the following positions: vice-pastor of the "St. Margaret Mary Parish" and teacher at the "Paul VI High School" in Omaha (1975-1978); director of the archdiocesan liturgical office (1978-1981); local co-worker at the apostolic nunciature in Washington, D.C. (1981-1987); pastor of the "St. Mary Parish" in Bellevue (1987-1989); president / rector of the "Pontifical College Josephinum" in Columbus, Ohio (1989-1997); pastor of the "St. Robert Bellarmine Parish" in Omaha (1997-1998).

Appointed bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, on July 7th, 1998, he received episcopal ordination on the following September 21st.

On 30th June 2010 he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as bishop of Spokane, Washington, and took canonical possession of the diocese the following September 3rd.

On September 20th, 2014, Pope Francis appointed him as metropolitan archbishop of Chicago, where he began his ministry on November 18th of the same year.

In October 2015 he participated, by papal appointment, to the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme: The vocation and the mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world.

He was chairman of the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People (2008-2011) and of the National Catholic Educational Association Board (from 2006-2008) and is member of numerous committees of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America.

He is a member of the Congregation for Bishops.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 19 November 2016, titular church of San Bartolomeo all'Isola.

Member of:  

• Dicasteries : for Bishops; for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.