New York— 04/29/25 — The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (AOH) congratulate and offer our prayerful best wishes to our brother Hibernian, Bishop Elect Father John E. Keehner on being installed as the Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa on Thursday, May 1 st , 2025.
“We look forward to working with Bishop Elect Keehner as he assumes the office of Bishop for the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa”, said Sean Pender, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians President. As our immediate past National Chaplain, I have worked with Bishop Elect Keehner on a number of different projects. Our Brother Hibernians in Ohio have sung the praises of Bishop Elect Keehner. We look forward to working with him now as the Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa in the future.
Immediate Past National President Daniel J. O’Connell echoed that praise, stating, “Father Keehner is a natural leader. His sincerity and wisdom guided the AOH on all levels of our Order. His commitment to our faith and his work ethic is second to none. I am confident in his continued success.”
Father Keehner, 59, is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and is one of five children. He attended Austintown schools and graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 1984.
Father Keehner earned a B.A. in English in 1988 from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He then began studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West in Cincinnati where he earned his M.Div. and M.A. in biblical studies in 1993.
He was ordained a priest in 1993 by Bishop James Malone at St. Columba Cathedral. His first assignment was parochial vicar for St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Boardman, Ohio. Father Keehner began canon law studies at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome and earned a licentiate in canon law in 1999. The priest was then assigned as a judge to the diocesan Department of Canonical Services.
He has served as vice rector and later rector of the St. Columba Cathedral, director of campus ministry at Youngstown State University. He has served as pastor of St. Casimir Parish, St. Christine Parish in Youngstown as well as St. Luke in Boardman, St. Paul in North Canton and Holy Spirit in Uniontown.
The bishop-elect currently serves as dean in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and is pastor of four parishes in the Diocese of Youngstown:
– Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ashtabula, Ohio
– Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Geneva, Ohio
– Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut, Ohio
– St. Andrew Bobola Parish in Sheffield, Ohio
Father Keehner served as adjunct instructor of canon law at St. Mary Seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland from 2021-24.
In additional pastoral assignments, the bishop-elect has served on the diocesan board of religious education, priest council, board of mediation and arbitration for the Office of Conciliation, presbyteral council and the priest personnel board. Father Keehner has served as a spiritual director for the permanent diaconate.
The bishop-elect has served as state chaplain and national chaplain for the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“The National Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes you to the episcopate!”
“ Beannacht Dé leat agus go gcoinní Dia thú”
