David A. Zubik was installed as the twelfth Bishop of Pittsburgh on September 28, 2007.
The Bishop was born on September 4, 1949 in Sewickley. His family, which included his father, Stanley, who returned to Pittsburgh with him from Green Bay, and his mother, Susan (Raskosky), who died in 2006, lived for many years in Ambridge and belonged to St. Stanislaus Parish, which became part of Good Samaritan Parish.
He attended St. Stanislaus Elementary School and St. Veronica High School, both in Ambridge, before entering St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh. He received an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University in 1971 and continued his studies at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he earned a degree in theology.
After his ordination as a priest by Bishop Vincent M. Leonard on May 3, 1975, he served as Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Shadyside until July 24, 1980. He was then named Vice-Principal of Quigley Catholic High School in Baden as well as Chaplain to the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse and Chaplain to the students at Mount Gallitzin Academy. At the same time, he began graduate studies in the School of Education at Duquesne University, where he earned a master’s degree in education administration in 1982.
In 1987, he entered the ministry of diocesan administration when he was appointed Administrative Secretary to then-Bishop Anthony Bevilacqua. In 1988, he was named Administrative Secretary and Master of Ceremonies to then-Bishop Donald W. Wuerl, who has since been named Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, DC.
In 1991, Father Zubik became the Diocesan Director of Clergy Personnel, where he oversaw the life and ministry of the diocese’s priests. He was named Associate General Secretary and Chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1995 and then Vicar General and General Secretary in 1996, a position in which he was responsible for the administration of diocesan central offices. He also was the Chaplain to the Sisters of the Holy Spirit at their Motherhouse in Ross Township.
A year later, on April 6, 1997, he was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Titular Bishop of Jamestown, North Dakota.
As a bishop, he has served on many boards and committees at the diocesan, local and national levels, including St. Paul and St. Vincent Seminaries, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Duquesne University Board of Directors, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Priestly Formation, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where he chairs the Pilgrimage Committee; the Catholic Leadership Institute; and St. Mary’s Seminary and University (Baltimore, MD).
In addition, Bishop Zubik is Episcopal Liaison to the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA) and since 2009 Episcopal Chairman of the Ladies of Charity of the USA.
On October 10, 2003, Pope John Paul II named Bishop Zubik the eleventh Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay. Installed on December 12, 2003, he embarked on vigorous efforts to improve vocations to all walks of life, deepen spirituality, and evangelize people of all ages. These efforts bore fruit as priestly vocations increased during his tenure.
Responding to the call to protect children and young people from sexual abuse, Bishop Zubik also developed strong programs to address misconduct by clergy and others in ministry. For each year during his tenure, audits conducted on behalf of the National Review Board established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops found both the Dioceses of Green Bay and Pittsburgh to be in full compliance with the national standards for creating and maintaining safe environments for children.
In May 2004, Bishop Zubik accepted a three-year term to the Board of Advisors of the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary in Chicago, and in November 2004, he was elected chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Laity, a three-year term that began in November 2005.
He currently serves on six committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—the Administrative Committee, the Committee on Priorities and Plans; Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, as a Consultant to the Committee on Divine Worship, and the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, of which he serves as Chair.
Bishop Zubik is the fifth native son to lead the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop J. F. Regis Canevin, who led the diocese from 1904-1921, and his successor, Bishop Hugh C. Boyle, who led the diocese until 1950, were born in areas that at the time were part of the diocese’s territory. Bishop Vincent M. Leonard, who led the diocese during the 1970’s, and Donald Cardinal Wuerl were native Pittsburghers.