Blase Joseph Cupich

infobox bishopstyles
name=Blase Cupich
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

Blase Joseph Cupich (born March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the seventh and current Bishop of Rapid City.

Biography

Blase Cupich was born in Omaha, Nebraska, as one of the eight children of Blase and Mary (née Mayhan) Cupich. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from where he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 1971. He then traveled to Rome, where he studied at the Pontifical North American College (earning his Bachelor's in Sacred Theology in 1974) and Pontifical Gregorian University (earning his Master's in Theology in 1975). Cupich was ordained to the priesthood on August 16, 1975, and then served as both associate pastor at [http://www.smmomaha.org/home.htm St. Margaret Mary Church] and instructor at Paul VI High School in Omaha until 1978.

Within the archdiocesan curia of Omaha, he served as director of the [http://www.archomaha.com/Pastoral/Worship/index.html Office for Divine Worship] and as chairman of the Commission on Youth from 1978 to 1981. He completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Cupich obtained his licentiate (1979) and later doctorate of Sacred Theology (1987) in Sacramental Theology, with a dissertation entitled: "Advent in the Roman Tradition: An Examination and Comparison of the Lectionary Readings as Hermeneutical Units in Three Periods".

From 1980 to 1981, Cupich was an instructor of the Continuing Education of Priests Program and Diaconate Formation at Creighton University in Omaha. He then served as secretary of the nunciature to the United States until 1987. He was pastor of [http://www.stmarysbellevue.com/site/ St. Mary Church] in Bellevue from 1987 to 1989, President-Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, from 1989 to 1996, and pastor of [http://www.stroberts.com/ St. Robert Bellarmine Church] in Omaha from 1997 to 1998.

On July 6, 1998, Cupich was appointed the seventh Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 21 from Archbishop Harry Flynn, with Archbishops Elden Curtiss and Charles Chaput, OFM Cap, serving as co-consecrators. He was formally installed as Rapid City's ordinary on that same date.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Cupich currently sits on the [http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/ Committee on the Liturgy] , "Ad Hoc" Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism, and "Ad Hoc" Committee on Scripture Translation. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Paul Seminary and of the Catholic Mutual Relief Society, Episcopal Advisor of the Serra Club, and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Pastoral Life Center.

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcupich.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/Bishop/CurriculumVitae.htm Diocese of Rapid City]