Archbishop names new leaders

Archbishop Cupich announced the appointment of 11 new leaders for the Archdiocese of Chicago in an April 30 press release. The appointments, which include some announced recently, fill many of the top management slots at the nation’s third largest archdiocese and reflect the archbishop’s commitment to collaboration, decentralization and partnership with the greater Chicago community.

“I am thrilled that we have secured the commitments of such a diverse and talented team to our mission at the Archdiocese of Chicago,” said Archbishop Cupich. “We aim to be of service to our parishes, our 2.2 million faithful and the more than nine million people in the greater Chicago area by sharing the joy and hope at the heart of our faith.”

Among the most important organizational changes is the appointment of a chief operating officer, Betsy Bohlen, to ensure the archdiocese’s operations reflect best business practices, to oversee effective implementation of archdiocesan initiatives and to support the archbishop with new investments for stronger mission vitality. Bohlen was a partner in a management consulting firm and has worked with the archdiocese as a consultant and staff member for more than a decade. She recently led a significant and successful financial improvement program for the archdiocese

The creation of the Consejo Hispano under the leadership of Father Adan Sandoval Duron reflects a new direction in the archdiocese’s approach to ethnic ministries. The Consejo will be located at Our Lady of the Mount Parish in Cicero, close to a large concentration of the archdiocese’s Spanish speaking congregation.

“Our archdiocese is incredibly diverse, with Mass offered in 26 languages every weekend,” said Archbishop Cupich. “We want to place our ethnic ministries where they can best support and celebrate the rich faith traditions and life experiences of our people.”

The appointees not previously announced are: Betsy Bohlen, former archdiocese chief financial officer and McKinsey & Company partner as chief operating officer, a newly created position; Father Adan Sandoval Duron as head of the new Consejo Hispano, or Hispanic Council, the body charged with organizing and enriching the church’s relationship with the 42 percent of its congregation who are Spanish speaking; Jesse Estrada as director of parish finance and administration, leading the effort to help stabilize parish financial performance and improve the archdiocese’s support of parishes on administrative matters; Father Jeffrey Grob as chancellor of the Archdiocese, responsible for archives, contracts and records and also serving as the archbishop’s liaison to lay ecclesial movements and new communities.; Father Kevin Hays as director of Casa Jesus, the house of formation for Latin American men overseen by the archdiocese; George Puszka as director of finance; and Father Daniel Smilanic as head of the Metropolitan Tribunal.