Quigley Distinguished Alumni
January 27, 2009

Rev. Dennis A. Ziomek
Quigley South 1970

He is known as Fr. Ziomek, Dennis or to most of his friends and fellow alumni, he is called “Zi.” Fr. Dennis Ziomek received this nickname as a freshman at Quigley South when his Latin teacher, Mr. Jim Range, could not pronounce his Polish name and asked him if he could call him “Zi” and the rest is history.

After graduating from Quigley South in 1970, he attended Niles College and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. Continuing his journey to priesthood, he went on to the University of St. Mary of the Lake and was ordained in 1978. He continued his educational pursuits and received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in 1983. His love of technology and computers led him to pursue certification in the teaching of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1986) and he received a Bachelor of General Studies in Microcomputers from Roosevelt University in 1990. He put this IT education to good use as the Director of Technology at AQPS.

His first assignment after ordination was at St. Gall (1978-1983) after which he joined the faculty of Quigley Seminary South (1983-1990) and while there resided at St. Gerald’s in Oak Lawn. After the closure of Quigley South, Fr. Ziomek moved north as a full-time faculty member at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary (1990-2006) and adjunct member there in 2006-2007. While at AQPS, he resided at Our Lady of the Snows (1990-2001) and at St. Barbara’s in Bridgeport, where he was appointed Administrator in 2005.

He is currently a member of: the Presbyteral Council, representing Deanery A, Vicariate V; the Executive Information Technology Steering Committee for the Archdiocese of Chicago; and the Association of Chicago Priests.

The sport of running never left him since his freshman year at Quigley when he started as a sprinter on the Track team, then running track for Loyola University for four years. At St. Gall, he coached the elementary school cross country and track team and continued coaching at Quigley South and AQPS. And as he has been know to remark: “It’s always a great day for running.”

He has many memories of Quigley both as a student and faculty member. He stated that “because of my four years as a student at Quigley South, I am a priest today.” Recalling his years as teacher, he said “I am proud to have students whom I taught now share in the ordained priesthood of Jesus Christ. I am also proud of the students I taught who, though not ordained, are fine young Catholic men involved in their parishes and communities.”

From his involvement as a student with the Track Team, the Profile, National Honor Society, Monogram Club, school play, and tutoring, to his role as a teacher, Fr. Ziomek always believed in the ideals of a Quigley education and high school seminary formation. He reflects “that it was a very humbling experience to come back to Quigley South as a faculty member and teach with faculty who taught you as a student.”