Thomas Zinkula

Thomas Zinkula was born on April 19, 1957 in Mount Vernon, Iowa to Robert and Mary (Volz) Zinkula. He grew up on a farm with eight siblings.[1] He graduated as the valedictorian from Mount Vernon High School in 1975. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in mathematics, economics and business from Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa), and worked as an actuary for Life Investors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[2] After a year he entered the University of Iowa College of Law and earned a Juris Doctor in 1983. He practiced law for three years with the Simmons, Perrine, Albright & Ellwood law firm in Cedar Rapids. Zinkula studied for the priesthood at Theological College at the Catholic University of America, and received a Master's degree in Theology in 1990. He earned a licentiate in Canon Law from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada in 1998.[3] Zinkula was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Cornell College for football.[1]

Zinkula was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque by Archbishop Daniel Kucera, O.S.B. on May 26, 1990 at St. Raphael's Cathedral.[1] He served as the assistant pastor of St. Columbkille's parish in Dubuque from 1990 to 1993 and as the assistant pastor at St. Joseph the Worker parish in Dubuque from 1993 to 1996. After studying Canon Law, Zinkula became the pastor of St. Joseph parish in Rickardsville and sacramental priest for St. Francis parish in Balltown and Saints Peter and Paul parish in Sherill (1998-2002). He served as a judge at the Archdiocesan Tribunal from 1998 to 2000 and Judicial Vicar from 2000 to 2010. He was named pastor of Holy Ghost parish in Dubuque, and served from 2005 to 2007. Holy Ghost was clustered with Sacred Heart and Holy Trinity parishes to form the Holy Spirit Pastorate, which he served as pastor from 2007 to 2011.[2] Zinkula served as the Episcopal Vicar for the Cedar Rapids region of the archdiocese from 2012 to 2014, and as the rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Dubuque from 2014 to 2017.[3] Zinkula was named a Monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.[4]

On April 19, 2017 Pope Francis named Zinkula to be the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport.[5] He was ordained a bishop at St. John Vianney Church in Bettendorf, Iowa by Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque, with Bishop Emeritus Martin Amos of Davenport, and Archbishop Emeritus Jerome Hanus, OSB of Dubuque as co-consecrators.