Bishop reflects upon first 100 days

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
As Bishop John E. Keehner recently wrapped up the first 100 days of his episcopate in the Diocese of Sioux City, he reflected upon the last few months as he settles in to his role as shepherd in northwest Iowa.
 
Bishop Keehner has had a very busy 100-plus days in the diocese. He started celebrating confirmations the weekend after his May 1 ordination. He has attended groundbreakings, his first Corpus Christi procession, ordained a new priest (Father Jake Rosenmeyer), attended the installation of a new archbishop in Omaha, blessed the Fort Dodge Marian Home addition, appointed vicars general and committee members, served at the Siouxland Soup Kitchen and attended numerous meetings, amongst other “firsts” in his new episcopate.
 
Meeting the faithful
Since the Feb. 12 announcement by Pope Francis that he would become the bishop of Sioux 

Bishop Keehner is interviewed by KTIV - Channel 4 following the election of Pope Leo XIV.

City, Bishop Keehner has been interviewed dozens of times by the media. When asked how he wanted to begin his role as shepherd of the diocese, he stressed that it was important to him to get out and meet the people. 

To assist the bishop, three Masses of Welcome were scheduled – Holy Trinity in Fort Dodge in June, St. Mary in Storm Lake in July and the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City just this week. After each Mass, a reception was held where he could meet the area faithful.
 
He also met parishioners throughout the diocese at confirmations, weekend Masses and events noting he was always warmly welcomed.
 
“It surprises me, but it doesn’t surprise me just how happy people are to have me here and how welcoming they’ve been,” he said. “Even people who might not always have a happy relationship with the church seem happy that I’m here and very welcoming to me … everybody’s been just lovely.”
 
Although various meetings, events and Masses have allowed the new bishop to meet many members of his flock in different communities, he realizes there are many areas he hasn’t been able to visit yet due to the large geographical area of the diocese.
 
“I’m overwhelmed by where I haven’t been yet and recognizing it’s not as easy to get around as I thought it would be,” Bishop Keehner explained. “It’s the amount of time it takes to travel from parish to parish.”
 
Clergy

Bishop Keehner ordained Father Jacob Rosenmeyer to the priesthood in June.

Bishop Keehner briefly met most of his active and retired priests at both at his episcopal ordination and the annual priests’ jubilee Mass in May. He also spent some time with the priests at their triennial retreat a few weeks ago. 
“Being able to celebrate Mass with the priests at the end of their retreat was very meaningful,” the bishop said.
 
Recent travels allowed the bishop to spend some time with his retired priests, including those living at the Marian Home and Village in Fort Dodge.
 
“They were so happy that I was there and very happy to be priests even in retirement and in the twilight (of their ministry),” Bishop Keehner reflected. “I had a lovely visit with Father Clair Boes. It was very affirming to me – a man who has dedicated his life to the church who is near the end. He was just so filled with hope and love for the people.”
 
Bishop Keehner also spent time with the permanent deacons and their wives at their annual retreat last month in Schuyler, Nebraska, and a pilgrimage at the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend last weekend.
 
Bishop’s team
Bishop Keehner’s team – clergy and staff serving at the Central Catholic Offices – have helped him ease into his leadership role and become acquainted with the diocese and northwest Iowa.
 

Bishop Keehner blesses the Blessed Sacrament during the eucharistic procession at Cathedral for the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

“I could not do it without them,” he said. “Just telling me where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. They have been guiding me through little crises and helping me to understand context. That’s really important because I can come at something, maybe with a fresh perspective, but I can also come at something with an uninformed perspective. The fact that I have people around me who are contextualizing everything for me is huge.” 
The bishop pointed out that his staff also support him liturgically, including his Mass emcees. Although he spent many years serving as a master of ceremonies as a priest in Youngstown, Ohio, he soon found that being the man sitting at the cathedra is a completely different experience. 

“I have to remember, okay, now I have to wear the miter, I’m not just handing it off. I have to wear it. Then I keep losing the zucchetto,” he said with a laugh.
 
He said he is “edified by how hard everybody works and how dedicated they are to the diocese, to the church.”
 
Challenges
In the first 100 days, the new shepherd said challenges include the decreasing numbers of active priests and parishioners in the pews. He explained it is difficult to provide personnel to fill positions and “trying to get the same job done with fewer people.”
 
“We’re not growing as a region. We’re shrinking population-wise,” he said. “That’s a struggle and then looking at that in terms of immigration in and emigration out. How do we welcome the stranger in a way that’s compassionate but still within the constraints of our laws?”
 
As the bishop is the spiritual leader for all within the Diocese of Sioux City, and not just the active Catholics, he wants those who feel disconnected from the church for any reason to turn to Christ.
 
“Our faith is more about a relationship with Jesus than anything else … try to build that relationship with Jesus first and I’m convinced that other things fall into place. The way we foster that relationship is primarily through the Eucharist and through the spoken word and human relationships,” he explained.
 
Hope
As every bishop faces challenges, Bishop Keehner said there are also many things that give him hope for the Catho

Bishop Keehner blesses the land at Remsen St. Mary School during the groundbreaking for the new elementary addition.

lic Church, including the strong faith of his parishioners, the faithful’s passion for Catholic schools, diocesan clergy and seminarians.
 
“Celebrating the noon Mass at the Cathedral with almost 700 people last weekend. That gives me hope,” he said of celebrating a Spanish Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. “And meeting with people and recognizing how much they love the Lord.”
 
He said after the Mass, he was asked for numerous blessings for rosaries, blessing someone’s mother who was ill, blessing a son leaving for college or blessing entire families.
 
Bishop Keehner is inspired by the strong faith of the young men who are in seminary and discerning a vocation to the priesthood. 

“Seminarians – they give me hope, they’re really excited about their faith and really excited

Bishop Keehner poses with diocesan seminarians following his ordination to the episcopate.

about serving the people. I’m amazed at their poise and willingness to get up and talk in front of a group – even talking about some of their struggles,” Bishop Keehner added. 
Living by his motto
As he manages the challenges and celebrates the high points, Bishop Keehner said his episcopal motto helps him to keep things in perspective, “He must increase, I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
 
“The part of me that must decrease is my selfishness, my ego and my mistaken belief that sometimes everything needs to revolve around me,” he said of his motto. “I think I need to be attentive to the fact that the office of bishop is an important rallying point for a diocese, but it can’t be about me. It has to be about the Good Shepherd. It’s about the role and who the bishop is as a shepherd, recognizing that he’s a flawed individual.”

 

Bishop John E. Keehner poses with priests of the diocese and Bishop Emeritus R. Walker Nickless during the priests retreat held last month.