John Joseph Keane (September 12, 1839 – June 22, 1918) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

After his ordination, Keane was appointed curate of St. Patrick's Parish in Washington, D.C.,[1] where he spent 12 years.

[3] On March 28, 1878, Pope Leo XIII appointed Keane as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Richmond at age 38.

[4] As bishop, Keane established the Confraternity of the Holy Ghost, a Catholic fellowship, in the diocese.

He promoted the quick Americanization of immigrants, the full representation of the Catholic Church at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago and his positions on the school question.

He travelled to Rome, spending the years 1897 to 1899 as canon of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, assistant at the pontifical throne, and counsellor to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.

Keane was attacked during the Americanism controversy "as a rationalist, throwing all dogma over to modern ideas.

In 1899, Keane was relieved of his responsibilities in Rome and was tasked to raise funds for the Catholic University of America, which was facing financial difficulties.

[1] He encouraged postgraduate courses and ongoing education for priests, and doubled the faculty and buildings of St. Joseph's College in Dubuque.

As his health declined, Keane petitioned Pope Pius X for the appointment of an auxiliary or a coadjutor bishop.

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