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Cardinal George

Cardinal Francis George is the first Chicago native to become Archbishop of Chicago. Installed in May 1997, he arrived by way of the west coast, where he had spent less than a year as Archbishop of Portland, Oregon and five years as Bishop of Yakima, Washington. He is the thirteenth Ordinary for Chicago since its establishment as a diocese in 1843.

The northwest side native, a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is the sixth Cardinal to lead the Chicago Archdiocese’s 2.3 million Catholics. He has assumed a prominent position among U.S. Cardinals, and, as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, his pastoral leadership encompasses international and national audiences.

Locally, he shepherds his diverse flock with an energy that belies his 72 years. He is the first Cardinal Archbishop to visit all of the Archdiocese’s 363 parishes, and to communicate digitally, electronically and in three languages.