ZINKULA, Thomas R.

ZINKULA, Thomas R. (Mt. Vernon, IA, Apr. 19, 1957-- ). On October 18, 2023 the installation of the Most Rev. Thomas R. Zinkula] as the archbishop of the ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE was held. The new archbishop replaced Archbishop Michael JACKELS who announced his retirement for health reasons in April, 2023. (1)

Archbishop Zinkula was very familiar with eastern Iowa. The son of Robert and Mary (Volz) Zinkula, he grew up on a farm with eight siblings. In 1975, Zinkula graduated as the valedictorian from Mount Vernon High School. He was the recipient of the Iowa State Bar Association American Citizenship Award and was cited as a State of Iowa Scholar.

At Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Zinkula was a member of the chorus for four years and participated in various musicals. He was a member of two Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference championship football teams (1973 & 1974), an Iowa state championship runner-up football team (1973), and a state championship football team (1974). He was named first team all-conference in football (offensive center, 1974). In 2016 he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame (achievement award). He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Cornell as a defensive lineman for football. (2) He received a bachelor's degree in mathematics, economics and business.

After college, Zinkula worked for one year as an actuary for Life Investors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He then entered the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City, Iowa, earning a Juris Doctor in 1983. He practiced law for three years with the Simmons, Perrine, Albright & Ellwood law firm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Zinkula was ordained a deacon on May 22, 1989 at St. Patrick Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa by Auxiliary Bishop Francis Dunn. (3) Zinkula studied for the priesthood at Theological College at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and received a Master in Theology degree in 1990. (4) He was ordained a priest on May 26, 1990 at ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL, Dubuque, Iowa by Archbishop Daniel KUCERA. (5)

He earned a licentiate in canon law from Saint Paul University in 1998. After studying canon law, Zinkula became the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Rickardsville, Iowa and sacramental priest for St. Francis Parish in Balltown, Iowa and Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Sherrill, Iowa from 1998 to 2002. He served as a judge at the Archdiocesan Tribunal from 1998 to 2000 and as judicial vicar from 2000 to 2010. He was pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Dubuque from 2005 to 2007. HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH was clustered with SACRED HEART CHURCH and HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH parishes to form the Holy Spirit Pastorate, for which he served as pastor from 2007 to 2011. Zinkula served as the episcopal vicar for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa region of the archdiocese from 2012 to 2014, and as the rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Dubuque from 2014 to 2017. He was named a monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

On April 19, 2017, Pope Francis named Zinkula the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport. He was ordained a bishop at St. John Vianney Church in Bettendorf, Iowa, by Archbishop Michael JACKELS of Dubuque, with Bishop Martin Amos and Archbishop Jerome G. HANUS as co-consecrators.

On June 3, 2019, Zinkula indicated that the diocese would comply with a request from the Iowa Attorney General for sexual abuse records on clergy in the diocese. On August 16, 2018, Zinkula made the following statement about sexual abuse by priests:

                The abuse of children and vulnerable adults isn’t an issue that will simply go away. 
                We must all be constantly vigilant in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

In 2023, Zinkula reduced the number of deaneries in the diocese from six to five. The new configuration considered the location of parishes and parish clusters and how priests were assigned to them. The diocese was also been heavily involved in the synodal process in preparation for the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. During the continental stage of the preparation process, Zinkula was one of eight bishops on the North American Synod Team.

In January 2021, Zinkula formed a committee to draft a policy regarding sexual and gender identity issues after spending over two years studying the issue. On October 4, 2023, Zinkula promulgated Guidelines for Pastoral Accompaniment of Sexual and Gender Minorities. It "offers basic guidance on the accompaniment of sexual and gender minorities in a way that is pastorally sensitive, practical and faithful to Catholic Church teaching on the nature of the human person."

On July 26, 2023, Pope Francis appointed Zinkula as the eleventh archbishop of Dubuque. He was installed on October 18, 2023, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre at the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY in Dubuque, Iowa. (6)

Between the installation and the retirement of Archbishop Kucera, the Most Reverend Richard Pates, bishop emeritus of Des Moines, served as the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese.

Although the installation was not open to the public, all priests from the archdiocese were in attendance and each parish was represented by two additional parishioners. Also in attendance were representatives from the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Catholic Daughters of America, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Order of Malta.

Archbishop Zinkula became the 11th archbishop of Dubuque and uniquely the 13th bishop in the 186-year history of the archdiocese. The first two bishops, Mathias LORAS and Clement SMYTH served before the archdiocese was founded and were therefore referred to as bishops. (7)

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Source:

1. Hogstrom, Erik and Kelsey, Elizabeth, "Archdioese Prepares for Installation of Archbishop," Telegraph Herald, October 15, 2023, p. 1A

2. "Bishop-Elect Thomas Robert Zinkula," St. Paul The Apostle Catholic Church, Online: https://www.stpaulcatholicparish.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=318838&type=d&pREC_ID=1151510

3. "Archbishop-Elect Thomas Zinkula," Diocese of Davenport Online: https://files.ecatholic.com/13543/documents/2023/7/Archbishop%20Zinkula%20Curriculum%20vitae_dubuque.pdf?t=1690380712000

4. "Thomas Robert Zinkula," Wikipedia, Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Robert_Zinkula

5. "Archbishop-Elect..."

6. "Bishop-Elect..."

7. Hogstrom and Kelsey