Archdiocese of Chicago

Archdiocese of Chicago

The Archdiocese of Chicago was established in 1843. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich serves as Archbishop and head of the Catholic Bishop of Chicago. The entity runs Catholic Charities and supports 92 Catholic schools through the separate Big Shoulders Fund. The pension plan holds 13.32 percent in private equity. Confirmed positions include Centerbridge Capital Partners V and Deerfield Healthcare Innovations Fund I. Additional mandates cover systematic hedge strategies and Vanguard Institutional Target Retirement Funds. Geographic exposure spans the United States and global markets. Real estate assets include the Providence of God Church Campus and St. George Catholic Church Campus, both sold in recent years, plus an active portfolio of religious and educational properties across Cook and Lake counties. The organization employs 15,000 people. It maintains relationships with Cambridge Associates as investment advisor, Northern Trust as custodian, and Deloitte as independent accountant. Recent activity includes attendance at the Pension Bridge Private Equity Exclusive in July 2025. Philanthropic vehicles comprise Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, established in 1917, and the Big Shoulders Fund, established in 1986. Investment decisions route through the Archbishop's Finance Council and the Director of Investments. The structure separates operating assets from the pension plan while applying a uniform set of Catholic investment guidelines across both.