Monthly Archives: September 2014

Loyola Looks to the Future with New Archbishop

This past weekend, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Washington, to succeed Cardinal Francis George as the Archbishop of Chicago.

We would like to personally add our congratulations to Archbishop-designate Cupich and look forward to working with him to meet the needs of the Archdiocese of Chicago!

This is a time of joy and hope for the people of the Archdiocese and we share that joy and hope in a profound way.

Welcome Archbishop-designate Cupich!

Bishop Blase Cupich, 65
Bishop Blase Cupich, 65

Cupich, is originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and is one of nine children raised in a devout Catholic home. In 1975, he was ordained a priest in his hometown and went on to become Bishop of Rapid City in 1998. He has been Bishop of Spokane since 2010.

Cupich has been successful at guiding the 100,000 Catholics in Spokane, but asks for patience as he gets to know the 2.2 million Catholics in Chicago. Cupich smiled during the press conference on Saturday, saying that he looks forward to personally meeting every member of the Archdiocese.

“The Holy Father’s appointment of me to Chicago humbles but also encourages me… I bow my head in the hope that everyone in Chicago will pray for me in the days ahead,” requested Cupich.

Being the country’s third largest Roman Catholic diocese, Chicago plays a vital role in the American church. Watch to find out more about what Cupich has planned for its future.

It is clear to see that Cupich takes a highly personal approach to his leadership style. He has already been on a whirlwind tour of the Archdiocese and we look forward to his future visit here at Loyola.

Archbishop-designate Cupich will be installed on November 18 as the ninth archbishop of Chicago.


IPS Welcomes New Graduate Assistants

Monday morning marked the first day of work for IPS’s two new graduate assistants.

Layli Carsey and Laine Davis have very different backgrounds, but both came here eager to offer their knowledge and help further improve IPS. They also have only been living in Chicago for about six weeks. Welcome ladies!

Layli, our new Research Assistant, has a B.A. in Russian Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a Masters in Religious Studies from Indiana University. Currently, she is at IPS studying Pastoral Counseling.

Originally from Miami, Layli moved to Champaign with her family during her high school years. Fortunately for us, she eventually made her way to Loyola where she will be assisting the IPS faculty on various research projects throughout her time here.

“I came to IPS because I decided I wanted my career to be more focused on people. For me, religion and spirituality was transformative and I wanted to be a part of that transforming power in other people’s lives as well as my own. I liked IPS because it deals with mental health from a spiritual perspective.”

IPS also brought onboard Laine Davis as the new Graduate Assistant for Communication. She will be actively involved in creating content for our social media platforms and increasing our reach into the community.

Laine joins us from New Orleans with a B.A. in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University. Currently, she is pursuing her Masters in Communication through the Digital Media and Storytelling program here at Loyola.

Though she has never lived in a city where winters always include snow, Laine is excited to be here and offer her communication skills to IPS.

“I love my classes so far and am already learning a lot of valuable information. This position at IPS complements my studies nicely and will allow me to put my knowledge and skill set to good use. I look forward to revamping and expanding the digital media at IPS.”

IPS is very excited to have Layli and Laine on our team. We have high expectations for them, but we know they are more than capable of excelling at the job!