Archbishop Zinkula Holding Outdoor Mass on Monona Farm

Archbishop Thomas Zinkula will be holding an outdoor Mass on a farm near Monona this Friday.

This special event will recognize the many people who work the land and live in rural communities throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque. After the Mass at 10:30 am, there will be a blessing of the animals and farm equipment, a recognition program, and a free-will offering lunch hosted by St. Patrick Parish of Waukon. 

The service and festivities to follow are hosted by the Johanningmeier and Deering families at Distant View Farm at 853 Hwy 76, Monona. All are welcome to attend.

Deacon Brian Zeman, Director of Life, Earth, and Social Justice for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and Fr. John Moser, Pastor at St. Patrick in Waukon, led the efforts to organize the Mass. The Archdiocese of Dubuque is a vast area that consists of 17,000 square miles of geography. While Zeman says much focus is given to Dubuque sometimes because they are the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the archdiocese is made up of much more rural geography than metropolitan.

Although Archbishop Zinkula currently lives in Dubuque, he is no stranger to rural life. He grew up on an Iowa farm along with his eight siblings.

Weather permitting, the service will be held outdoors in the backyard of the family farm or, in case of rain, indoors in a nearby machine shed. Seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. More information can be found at dbqarch.org/rural-life.