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Croatian Community Welcomes New Archbishop

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of Masses are held every weekend in the Chicago Archdiocese, and some of those are said in Croatian.

That's the heritage of the new Archbishop-Designate of Chicago and as CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports, Bishop Cupich has not forgotten his roots.

Fr. Joe Grbes, the Superior of the Croatian Franciscan Fathers for the United States and Canada said he was surprised when he heard the announcement that Bishop Cupich will succeed Francis Cardinal George. Fr. Grbes met Bishop Blase Cupich years ago.

"Very social, simple, very gentle soul," Fr. Grbes said. "Instantly, people liked him. I remember that."

Fr. Grbes says Bishop Cupich has strong ties to his Croatian heritage. In March, Bishop Cupich visited St. Marko church in Vinica, Croatia, where he says his grandmother was baptized in 1901.

At his news conference, Bishop Cupich spoke of his desire to reach out to people of Eastern European descent in Chicago.

"Especially if they have really wonderful sarma, which is a cabbage roll and povitica, which is a nut bread. I'm sure now I'm going to get inundated with it," he said.

Fr. Grbes says, "There will be plenty of sarma in Chicago and plenty of povitica in Chicago. I think it will be a big welcome for him."

Fr. Grbes also says Cardinal George will be a great guiding influence for Bishop Cupich as he enters this new chapter in his life.

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