The Most. Rev. Thomas Zinkula, JD, JCL, is certain others have come to the priesthood with a law degree.
He is equally confident he is not the first U.S. Bishop to have played college football well enough to earn induction into his school's Hall of Fame.
He does, however, know the sum of his experiences are his alone and that, together, they directed his path toward becoming the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Davenport. They also guide his work as chair of the Board of Trustees at St. Ambrose University.
Bishop Zinkula will call on his unique experiences when he addresses the graduating class at St. Ambrose's Spring 2018 Commencement ceremonies beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, at the TaxSlayer Center (formerly the iWireless Center) in Moline, Ill.
A class of 456 undergraduates and 158 master's and doctoral students are candidates for graduation. Members of the graduating class come from 21 states and six foreign countries.
Bishop Zinkula will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his dedication to the Catholic Church and its people, and his support and belief in the value of Catholic higher education.
Timothy Millea, MD, a member of the advisory board that helped launch the SAU physical therapy program in 1993, also will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Dr. Millea's recognition will honor his long-standing support for Catholic education, his many contributions to health sciences education at St. Ambrose and his commitment to upholding the principles of Catholic faith in the science and practice of health care.
Bishop Zinkula said he will speak to graduates about the importance of stewarding their resources, and the value of teamwork and community throughout their lives as St. Ambrose alumni.
The latter, certainly, was essential to his Hall of Fame career as a defensive lineman at Cornell College from 1976-1978. It also factored in his work in the insurance industry following his college graduation, as well as his role as managing editor of University of Iowa Law Review while he earned his juris doctor degree from 1980-1983.
Bishop Zinkula spent three years practicing law in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before hearing his call to the priesthood.
He received a Master of Theology degree from the Catholic University of America in 1990 and was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Dubuque that same year. He was 33.
"It was important for me to find my way to the priesthood eventually. I would not have been ready to be a priest right out of college. I needed to grow and develop in different ways. I look back and see my life was preparing me to be a priest and the priesthood was preparing me to be a better bishop."
Bishop Thomas Zinkula
"For me, that was the path," said Bishop Zinkula. "It was important for me to find my way to the priesthood eventually. I would not have been ready to be a priest right out of college. I needed to grow and develop in different ways. I look back and see my life was preparing me to be a priest and the priesthood was preparing me to be a better bishop. All of those things helped me to serve the Church better."
When he was installed as successor to the retiring Most Rev. Martin Amos as Bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in June of 2017, Bishop Zinkula also became Chair of the SAU Board. His life experiences also have prepared him for that role, as well, including several years of service on the board for Clarke University in Dubuque.
Bishop Zinkula grew up on a farm outside Mount Vernon, Iowa, one of nine children of Mary and the late Robert Zinkula. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school class and was a three-time academic All-American while playing football at Cornell in Mount Vernon. He graduated summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and business.
"I was a farm kid whose parents did not have a chance to go to college," he said. "My siblings and I were the first in our family to go to college. I received a liberal arts education and that helped me in my life. I wouldn't trade it for the world."
His own collegiate experience helps Bishop Zinkula appreciate the liberal arts grounding that is fundamental to a St. Ambrose education. In his initial year as leader of the Diocesan university, Bishop Zinkula has met students while occasionally making use of the new Wellness and Recreation Center, as a guest speaker in a philosophy classroom and when on campus for board functions.
"Students every once in a while will come up and say, ‘Hi, Bishop' and I wonder how they recognize me," he said. "It is enjoyable to interact with them."
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