Athenaeum of Ohio Alum Appointed Bishop of Sioux City

Bishop-elect John E. Keehner (right) with Diocese of Sioux City Bishop R. Walker Nickless prior to his introductory Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Iowa

While a lot of the attention around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati was focused on last week’s announcement of the appointment of The Most Rev. Robert G. Casey as the 11th Archbishop of Cincinnati (click here for more on that appointment), Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology was also excited to see one of its alumni also be involved in the day’s Bishop appointments, with Rev. John E. Keehner named the Bishop-Elect for the Diocese of Sioux City in Iowa (the home Diocese of Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr).

Bishop-elect Keehner, a priest for the Diocese of Youngstown and 1993 graduate of The Athenaeum of Ohio, will be installed as Bishop of Sioux City on May 1.

A native of Youngstown, Bishop-elect Keehner got his Bachelor’s Degree in English from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus before coming to MTSM, where he completed his M.Div. while also attaining a Master’s in Biblical Studies.

Following ordination in June 1993, he was assigned to St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Boardman, Ohio before being assigned to Canon Law studies at The Angelicum in Rome, where he earned his licentiate in canon law in 1999. Upon returning to Youngstown, he was named a judge for the Diocese of Youngstown’s Department of Canonical Services. He would go on to serve as Rector of St. Columbia Cathedral in Youngstown and Director of Campus Ministry at Youngstown State University. He would then serve a variety of parishes as pastor around the Diocese of Youngstown.

In addition to those pastoral roles, Bishop-elect Keehner served as an adjunct instructor of canon law at St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland, on the Diocese of Youngstown’s board of religious education, priest council, board of meditation and arbitration for the Office of Conciliation, presbyteral council, priest personnel board and as a spiritual director for the permanent diaconate.

A list of living Athenaeum of Ohio attendees who would go on to serve as Bishops is below.

The Most Rev. Joseph R. Binzer – Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Cincinnati
The Most Rev. R. Daniel Conlon – Bishop Emeritus of Joliet
The Most Rev. Earl K. Fernandes – Bishop of Columbus
The Most Rev. James H. Garland – Bishop Emeritus of Marquette
The Most Rev. William L. Higi – Bishop Emeritus of Lafayette-in-Indiana
The Most Rev. John E. Keehner – Bishop-Elect of Sioux City
The Most Rev. Gerald L. Vincke* – Bishop of Salina
The Most Rev. Michael W. Warfel – Bishop Emeritus of Great Falls-Billings
His Eminence Donald W. Cardinal Wuerl# – Archbishop Emeritus of Washington

*Bishop Vincke did his first two years of major seminary formation at MTSM before being transferred to Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit to finish his formation.
#Cardinal Wuerl attended St. Gregory College Seminary his first two years of undergraduate college before being transferred to Catholic University of America.