In anticipation of Cardinal Cupich’s 50th anniversary of priesthood, Chicago Catholic submitted questions to him about his journey and experiences. We share his responses here.
Chicago Catholic: When and how did you hear the call to become a priest? Could you talk a little bit about what that experience was like for you.
Cardinal Cupich: It was a very slow process. No bolt out of the blue. It was much like entering into a friendship in which I became comfortable with identifying myself as a priest of the church.
Of course, the context was what was happening in the church with the Second Vatican Council, which had a lot to do with my decision as I found the insights of the council about the church inspiring. I will talk about this in the homily at the Mass to celebrate my jubilee on Aug. 16 at Holy Name Cathedral.
Chicago Catholic: Who influenced your vocation and ministry as a priest, at the beginning and as your ministry continued and matured?
Cardinal Cupich: Religious sisters and priests who taught me in high school and college. After ordination it was brother priests, but also significant lay friends who encouraged me and helped me develop talents.
Chicago Catholic: Have there been any saints or holy men and women who have been touchstones for you during your ministry?
Cardinal Cupich: As a child, Dominic Savio and then, in time, John of the Cross.
Chicago Catholic: What have you found most challenging in your ministry, and how do you meet those challenges? What have you found most rewarding, and why?
Cardinal Cupich: I think the abuse of minors by priests was the most difficult and unsettling moment in my years as a priest. And yet I have to say that interacting with victim survivors has been especially rewarding as I see the healing that can be done by just being present to them.
Chicago Catholic: How has your understanding of priestly formation/priestly ministry changed or developed in the past five decades? What advice would you give yourself as a young priest and how might that advice change decades on?
Cardinal Cupich: I had to really develop my understanding in the years I was called to be the rector of a seminary as I looked for ways to inspire and form a generation that was quite different from my own. The constant in all of this was the understanding of priesthood as servant leadership. And I have come to see that while service is quite easy to embrace, authentic leadership is not as it is not correctly understood. I have tried to develop what it means to serve by leading and lead by serving.
Chicago Catholic: How did your ministry change when you became a bishop?
Cardinal Cupich: Many of the skills I developed in the 22 years as a priest before becoming a bishop were very helpful to me. Of course, the main shift involved taking responsibility for a local church and engaging the clergy to join in that service.
I learned that there is a good deal of unevenness in the ability and willingness of preists to do that, however, and that required a good deal of patience, but also firmness in asking people to be accountable.
Chicago Catholic: After 50 years as a priest, how do you think about the challenges and opportunities facing the church today?
Cardinal Cupich: They really are not that different. We have to accept that people are going to make their own decisions about the practice of the faith and their involvement in church life. However, we have to read the signs of the times and be willing to adjust the way we reach out to people taking into consideration their own needs and faith journey.
Chicago Catholic: What do you think Pope Leo’s election means for the church in Chicago? For the church globally?
Cardinal Cupich: It is too early to tell. There are some very positive signs, particularly as he emphasizes synodality and unity. He has already proven himself as ready for prime time on the world’s stage, especially as he works for world peace and solidarity.