Finally some good news on housing bishops!
Today it was announced that Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, the recently appointed successor of Cardinal Francis E. George, will break the trend of residence in the three-story red brick Archdiocese of Chicago’s North State Parkway mansion just a few minutes’ walk from Lake Michigan.
Instead of residing in the mansion—which has housed every archbishop since it was built in 1885—Cupich will move into the rectory of Holy Name Cathedral, the seat of the archdiocese.
This modest move will no doubt be a welcomed change, as many bishops have been criticized lately for their extravagant and over-the-top—to say the least—housing choices. (I mean, who really needs at $20,000 bathtub?)
The downsizing was desirable for Cupich who reportedly expressed interest “to reside in a place where he could be most effective in serving all the people in the Archdiocese of Chicago.”
Pope Francis no doubt would approve of the move. He also lives in a humble room at the Vatican as opposed to the papal apartment.
Image: Wikimedia Commons cc by Smallbones. The image is of the North State Parkway mansion in Chicago.
