The Upcoming Imposition of the Sacred Pallium

The faithful of the archdiocese are invited to celebrate Mass with the Imposition of the Sacred Pallium on Archbishop Zinkula by His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Hiawatha. Learn more at dbqarch.org/pallium.

Archbishop Zinkula will preside at the Mass. Cardinal Pierre will give a talk before the Mass from 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. about synodality and Eucharistic Revival. His Eminence will impose the pallium on Archbishop Zinkula and deliver the homily.  The Mass is an opportunity for the faithful of the Archdiocese of Dubuque to recognize and celebrate the unity of the local and universal Church.  The Mass will be livestreamed at dbqarch.org/live-broadcasts for those unable to attend.

On June 29, 2024, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula received the pallium from Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome with other recently installed metropolitan archbishops. However, the Pope did not formally impose/confer it on him. The pallium is imposed in each metropolitan archbishop's home archdiocese. 

Archbishop Zinkula discussed the symbolism of the pallium during an interview with Catholic News Service Rome correspondent Justin McLellan, saying, “It is a symbol of unity that the bishops are united with the Holy Father in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.” Archbishop Zinkula also referenced the symbolism of Jesus the Good Shepherd, saying, “Bishops have the crosier which is a sign of [shepherding our flock], but the pallium is also a symbol of our role shepherding the sheep and leading them to clean water and pasture.

In preparation for the celebration, the Archdiocese has resources available for children, teens, and adults to learn more about the pallium and its significance. These can be found online at dbqarch.org/pallium. Resources include children's activities for home and the classroom, crossword puzzles, and trivia slideshows for teens and adults.