John Richard Keating

John Richard Keating (July 20, 1934 – March 22, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia from 1983 until his death in 1998.

Biography

Early life

John Keating was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Robert and Gertrude Keating.[1] He was educated at Queen of All Saints School, Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.[1]

Keating continued his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, from where he obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1959.[1]

Priesthood

On December 20, 1958, Keating was ordained to the priesthood in Rome for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Bishop Martin John O'Connor.[2]

Following his return to Chicago, Keating served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish until 1960, when Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer sent him back to Rome to study canon law.[1] He earned a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian University in 1963.[1]

After returning to Chicago, Keating served as assistant chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago and associate pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish.[1] He was also associate pastor at St. Germaine Parish in Oak Lawn, Illinois (1968–1969), St. Mary Parish in Riverside, Illinois (1969–1970), St. Clement Parish in Chicago (1970–1975), and St. Louise de Marillac Parish in La Grange Park, Illinois (1975–1983).[1]

In 1971, Keating was appointed co-chancellor for priest personnel and a member of the clergy personnel board. He became chairman of this board in 1977. In 1979, Keating was named vicar general and chancellor of the Archdiocese.[1] After the death of Cardinal John Cody in April 1982, Keating served as Apostolic Administrator of Chicago until the appointment of Archbishop Joseph Bernardin.[1]

Bishop of Arlington

On June 7, 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Keating as the second Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.[2] He was installed and consecrated on August 4 1983 by Archbishop Pio Laghi, with Bishops Thomas Joseph Murphy and Thomas Jerome Welsh serving as co-consecrators.[2]

At the beginning of his tenure, the diocese had 188,000 Catholics and 57 parishes; at the time of his death, there were over 336,000 Catholics, 65 parishes, and 5 missions.[1]

Keating issued six pastoral letters and ordained 84 priests.[1] In 1994, he and Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz made national headlines when they insisted on maintaining exclusively male altar servers.[1]

Death

In March 1998, Keating made an ad limina visit to Rome to meet with John Paul II and report on his diocese. He died of a heart attack on March 23 at the residence of the Oblate Fathers of St. Francis.[1] [3]

Keating he was buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.[4]

References
  1. "Arlington's Second Bishop — John R. Keating". Arlington Catholic Herald. November 20, 2008.
  2. "Bishop John Richard Keating". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. Broadway, Bill (March 23, 1998). "VA. BISHOP KEATING DIES ON ROME TRIP". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. Murphy, Caryle (March 29, 1998). "Hundreds Offer Gratitude, Praise at Funeral for Bishop Keating". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
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