Early Monday morning, rain couldn't dampen the mood at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church as one of their own will become a cardinal: Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich.
“I think he'd be great and I think everyone should be proud of him,” says Tom Schmitz, a parishioner who was leaving an early morning Mass at the parish.
It's fitting parishioners rejoice. Afterall, Cupich serve as an altar boy at the South Omaha church.
“I used to teach at Sts. Peter and Paul and so for me, I'm actually a person that was working in a building where he went to school. So that's even more exciting,” says Susan Bednarz, a member of the parish.
As a young priest, Cupich served at several area parishes before becoming a bishop in Rapid City, South Dakota and later in Spokane, Washington.
Two years ago, the Pope called on him to be the Archbishop of Chicago.
That is – until Sunday. He shared the news in only a way that he can – through his humor.
"You may have heard there was some breaking news here in Chicago overnight: the Cubs won their second game in the playoffs and now lead 2-0," said Cupich during Mass.
But in all seriousness, he'll soon wear the red hat along with 16 other Cardinal-elects from around the world.
The news from Chicago started as a wake-up call for the 67-year-old.
"I was awakened by a friend in Rome who lives there telling me that it was just announced at the Holy Father's Sunday Angelis," Cupich said. "While I didn't mind being awakened, I surely missed the two hours I was hoping to get."
Roughly 500 miles away, Cupich never forgot his roots as he visited Omaha for a celebration that honored him back in 2014.
Parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul say they’re fully confident with Pope Francis' choice.
“I think he'll do just great because he has the Lord on his side,” says Bednarz. “So, he'll just keep himself in prayer and we'll keep him in prayer and he has a large community here that's praying for him – wishing him the best."
In November, Cupich will head to the Vatican for an official ceremony where he’ll receive the title.
As a cardinal, he'll play a very important role in choosing the next Pope when the time comes in the College of Cardinals.
