YOUNGSTOWN — The Rev. John Keehner, who has served as a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, was honored March 23 with a farewell Mass and reception attended by hundreds of people.

Keehner was recently named as the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, by Pope Francis. Parishioners of the many churches where Keehner has served during his priesthood attended the celebration.

Bishop-elect Keehner will be ordained and installed 2 p.m. May 1 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Keehner said he is “truly humbled by and grateful for the Holy Father’s decision.”

“It is obvious that Pope Francis desires men with a shepherd’s heart to be his episcopal shepherds. Bishop-elect Keehner checks all the boxes in this regard.

The Diocese of Sioux City will come to know very quickly his many gifts along with his pastoral, kind and humble zeal,” Youngstown Bishop David Bonnar said.

Keehner said he has chosen for his Episcopal motto the words of his patron saint, John the Baptist, which he speaks about Jesus, “He must increase, I must decrease.”

Keehner completed his seminary studies at the Athenaeum of Ohio, Mount St. Mary Seminary, in Cincinnati and was ordained at St. Columba Cathedral on June 12, 1993, by Bishop James W. Malone.

Following ordination, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Charles Church in Boardman. In 1997, he began graduate studies in canon law at the Angelicum in Rome and returned to the diocese in 1999 as a judge for the Diocesan Tribunal.

Keehner has served as Newman Center chaplain for Youngstown State University, rector of St. Columba Cathedral and pastor of St. Christine Chur ch in Youngstown, St. Luke Parish in Boardman, St. Paul Parish in North Canton, Holy Spirit Parish in Uniontown and most recently as pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ashtabula, Assumption Parish in Geneva, Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut and St. Andrew Bobola in Sheffield.