New Bishop appointed to the Diocese of Sioux City

 

Pope Francis names the next Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City

Pope Francis has selected Father John Keehner as the eighth Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese(Diocese of Youngstown)

By KTIV Staff

Published: Feb. 12, 2025

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Only seven men have served as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City in its 123-year history, now an eighth man has been selected.

Pope Francis has accepted the request for the retirement of current Bishop Walker Nickless, who submitted the request on May 28, 2022. Bishop Nickless submitted the letter on his 75th birthday, the Catholic Church mandates a bishop send that letter to the pope once he reaches 75 years old.

The Pope has appointed Father John Keehner, of the Diocese of Youngstown as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City.

Bishop-elect Keehner, 59, is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. He was ordained a priest in 1993 by Bishop James Malone at St. Columba Cathedral. He will be ordained as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City on May 1 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

John Keehner’s background

Bishop-elect Keehner currently serves as 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

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. 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.

Keehner also 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. Keehner has served as a spiritual director for the permanent diaconate.

The bishop-elect has also served as state chaplain and national chaplain for the Ancient Order of Hibernians.