Cook County Jail inmates attend Christmas mass

COOK COUNTY, Ill. - Inmates at Cook County Jail attended Christmas worship Monday morning.

The mass was presided over by Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich. 

The archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago drew a parallel between the first people who learned about the birth of Jesus, the shepherds, and the inmates he was speaking to. 

He said shepherds were regarded as less than other people, seen with suspicion and were often overlooked. 

"Merry Christmas to all of you. I really do want you to know that there are a lot of people who know I am here today and who are praying for you. They want you to know as I do today, that you are not alone or forgotten," said Cupich.

Cupich asked the worshipers to imagine themselves holding a baby, feeling empathy and love for that baby and hoping for the baby to succeed. 

The message is that God holds each of them the same way.