John J. Keane (bishop) - Archbishop of Dubuque

Archbishop of Dubuque

On July 24, 1900 Pope Leo XIII appointed Archbishop Keane as the fourth bishop and second archbishop of Dubuque. He once again took a prominent part in the Catholic Young Men's National Union and in the Total Abstinence Union of North America, and lectured widely on temperance, education and American institutions. He encouraged postgraduate courses and ongoing education for priests, and doubled the faculty and buildings of St. Joseph's (now Loras) College. Twelve academies for girls and two for boys were constructed in the archdiocese.

On January 15, 1902 the Diocese of Sioux City was established from the western half of the archdiocese. His friend and associate at Catholic University, the Rev. Philip Joseph Garrigan, was appointed Sioux City's first bishop. The current boundaries of the archdiocese would not be established until 1911 after his resignation.

He served as archbishop until poor health forced him to request an auxiliary bishop or a coadjutor. No such appointment was made and he submitted his resignation instead. It was accepted by Pope St. Pius X on April 28, 1911, and he was named Titular Archbishop of Cius. He resided in the cathedral rectory in Dubuque until his death in 1918. Following his death Keane was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in nearby Key West.

Archbishop Keane was succeeded by Bishop James John Keane of Cheyenne. Even though both men had the same last name, they were not related. Local citizens have also drawn comparisons between the two men. John Keane was known as "Sugar" due to his kind and generous nature. James Keane was nicknamed as "Hickory" due to his stern personality.

A selection from his writings and addresses was edited by Maurice Francis Egan under the title Onward and Upward: A Year Book (Baltimore, 1902).