Nov. 28--Archbishop Blase Cupich said he offered the same message Thursday as he celebrated Mass in affluent Lake Forest and later visited the poor and homeless having Thanksgiving turkey and dressing in Chicago.
"God wants all of us to love the life that has been given to us, and when we do that then we can love the lives of other people, no matter the circumstances," Cupich told reporters in a Catholic Charities dining hall on the Near North Side after shaking hands and blessing rosaries of dozens of the diners.
Cupich, 65, who earlier this month became Chicago's ninth archbishop, said the Lake Forest congregation had taken up a collection and also sent food that he delivered to the St. Vincent Center.
Cupich battled a cold and sipped coffee as he walked between the tables to pray and chat with guests. He said he's adjusting to the "high profile, fast-paced" work in Chicago of leading more than 2 million Catholics, a good bit different than serving as bishop in Spokane, Wash., with about 90,000 Catholics.
Underscoring that difference, he said that earlier this week he taped a segment for CBS' "Face the Nation" and met with President Barack Obama, who was in town to promote immigration reform.
"Because people have been so nice to me, including yourselves, it's been easy. I enjoy being with people, and if you help me to be with people in a broader way, I'm all for it," he told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Cupich celebrated Thanksgiving Mass at the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest, touching on the themes of loving the life God has provided, accepting weaknesses in personal lives and relying on God for perseverance.
In Chicago, Cupich shook hands and prayed with diners, telling a group at one table that he looks forward to a nap for his Thanksgiving treat.
"That's what I'm going to have for Thanksgiving: sleep," he said, drawing laughs.
One of the diners at that table, 47-year-old Larry Hurst, who said he is not Catholic, said meeting the archbishop helped bolster his Christian faith.
"That just lets me know that God is with me all the time," Hurst said about meeting Cupich. "To me that's God saying, 'I still welcome you; you're still my child.' That's such a wonderful experience."
Cupich said he wanted to be present at the meal to help "turn the spotlight and the cameras on the work that's being done here."
"That's important for us as Chicagoans to realize that there is a chronic need day in and day out. What Catholic Charities does for people -- it's not just on Thanksgiving, it does every day."
Catholic Charities expected to serve more than 150 men, women and families a meal Thursday, a spokeswoman said. A warm dinner is offered nightly at the St. Vincent Center, where about 130 guests are served daily, with 70 additional meals to-go, the spokeswoman said.
Daniel I. Dorfman of Tribune Newspapers contributed.
mmanchir@tribpub.com
