| The Most Reverend David Allen Zubik |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Pittsburgh | |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh (1997–2003) Bishop of Green Bay (2003–2007) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 3, 1975 by Vincent Leonard |
| Consecration | April 6, 1997 by Donald Wuerl, Nicholas Dattilo, and Thomas Tobin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 4, 1949 Sewickley, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University (B.A., 1971, M.S.Ed., 1982) St. Mary's Seminary and University (D.D., 1975) |
David Allen Zubik ( /ˈzuːbɪk/ zoo-bik; born September 4, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the twelfth and current Bishop of Pittsburgh, having previously served as Bishop of Green Bay from 2003 to 2007.
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David Zubik was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, to Stanley (b. 1927) and Susan Zubik (née Raskosky, d. 2006).[1] The grandson of Polish and Slovak immigrants, he is an only child.[2] He was raised in Ambridge, and attended Good Samaritan Church.[1] His parents would take him to a local amusement park after Mass on Sundays.[3]
Zubik first considered pursuing Holy Orders in the first grade, later contemplating a career in law before returning to his priestly aspirations after attending a retreat in 1965 on the South Side.[4] After graduating from St. Veronica High School in 1967, he entered St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh. He earned an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University in 1971 and continued his studies at St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, from where he obtained a Master's in Divinity in 1975.
Zubik was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Vincent Leonard on May 3, 1975. He then served as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Shadyside until 1980, and as Vice-Principal of Quigley Catholic High School and chaplain to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden until 1987. He received a Master's degree in Education Administration from Duquesne University in 1982. From 1987 to 1991, he was secretary to Bishop Anthony Bevilacqua.
Zubik became an associate spiritual director of St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe in 1989, and served as Diocesan Director of Clergy Personnel from 1991 to 1996. He also became President of the Diocesan Finance Council in 1995. Zubik was named Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1996. He also served as chaplain of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit Motherhouse in Pittsburgh.
| Styles of David Allen Zubik |
|
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
On February 18, 1997, Zubik was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh and Titular Bishop of Jamestown by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 6 from then-Bishop Donald Wuerl, with Bishops Nicholas Dattilo and Thomas Tobin serving as co-consecrators, at St. Paul Cathedral. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Nothing is Impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).[5]
Zubik was later named the eleventh Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on October 10, 2003. Replacing the retiring Robert Banks, he was formally installed on December 12 of that year.
In address to sexual abuse scandals, Zubik met with representatives of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, but was criticized by the group for not disclosing the names of priests who were accused of sexual abuse but never sued or charged with a crime.[2]
During the 2004 presidential election, he urged Catholics to consider the Church's teachings on abortion and same-sex marriage before casting their votes. Although he has said that pro-choice Catholic politicians should refrain from receiving Communion, Zubik has also stated he would not refuse Communion to those figures.[2] He opposes capital punishment, and supports immigration reform.[2]
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Zubik the twelfth Bishop of Pittsburgh on July 18, 2007, ending a 14 month-long vacancy. He received the call of appointment from the chargé d'affaires at the office of the then-Apostolic Nuncio (Papal Ambassador) to the U.S., the late Arcbishop Pietro Sambi, at 3:35 PM on July 9, the exact time of his birth. He was installed on September 28, 2007.[1]
Bishop Zubik declined to take up residence at the episcopal mansion on Warwick Terrace, which had been the home of the bishops of Pittsburgh since 1949, and instead settled at Saint Paul Seminary, saying that the Church needed to move away from being "attached to buildings."[6][7] In April 2009, he held a widely-publicized Service of Apology at St. Paul Cathedral, where he begged the "forgiveness of anyone hurt by the Church... in any way."[8][9]
Bishop Zubik described the University of Notre Dame's decision to have President Barack Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree as "painful" and "embarrassing," noting that Obama is "the single most outspoken pro-abortion president since the issue was foisted upon the country by the Supreme Court."[10]
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Zubik sits on the National Advisory Council, Administrative Committee, Committee on the Laity, and Audit Sub-Committee.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Banks |
Bishop of Green Bay 10 October 2003 – 28 September 2007 |
Succeeded by David Laurin Ricken |
| Preceded by Donald Wuerl |
Bishop of Pittsburgh 28 September 2007 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |