November 2, 1924 to January 13, 2023

Father Earl Keating, a Passionist priest of the St. Paul of the Cross Province of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, died at Immaculate Conception Monastery on January 13, 2023. He was 98 at the time of his death. Born on November 2, 1924, the son of the late James Earl Keating and the late Gertrude Harter Keating. He was predeceased by his two brothers, Joseph Aloysius Keating and James Louis Keating and a close family friend Marge McGee. In addition to the members of his Congregation, Fr. Keating leaves many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and caring friends. A native of Pittston, Pennsylvania, Father Keating graduated from West Pittston High School in 1942. He studied at Villanova University from 1942 to 1945. He began formation for the diocesan priesthood in 1950. He attended St. Philip Neri School in Boston, Massachusetts for four months of Latin classes and then studied at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in historic Emmitsburg, Maryland from 1950 to 1955. Father Keating entered the Passionists in 1955, professing first vows on October 78, 1956 at Saint Paul of the Cross Monastery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bishop Cuthbert O'Gara, the Passionist bishop from Yuanling in the Hunan Province in China, ordained him to the priesthood on April 25, 1958 at Saint Michael Monastery, Union City, New Jersey. Fr. Keating professed his final vows on October 7, 1959 in Toronto, CANADA. He served in Toronto on the Passionist Mission Band from 1959-1960 and then ministered at Saint Joseph Spiritual Center, Baltimore, Maryland from 1960- 1974. A man deeply committed to the contemplative dimension of the Passionist Community, Father Keating spent six months at Saint Mary House, Bedford, Pennsylvania from 1974 to 1975. He then served at Bishop Molloy Retreat Center, Jamaica, New York from 1975-1980 and at Spellman Retreat Center, Riverdale, New York from 1980-1983. He then returned to Saint Mary House from 1983-1984 and lived at Saint Ann Monastery, Scranton, Pennsylvania from 1984-1990. He was rector at Saint Ann Monastery from 1986-1990. He served at Calvary Retreat Center, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts from 1990-1994. In 1994 he transferred to Holy Family Retreat Center, West Hartford, Connecticut where he resumed retreat ministry until 2001 when he returned to Saint Ann Monastery, Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2001. In 2019 Fr. Keating transferred to Immaculate Conception Monastery, Jamaica, New York in 2019 where he lived out his priestly, Passionist ministry in this life until his death. An amiable, studious, and compassionate man, Fr. Keating served as spiritual advisor to the Catholic Union of the Sick in America and was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was particularly dedicated to careful preparation for his pastoral responsibilities. He received an MA in religious education and pastoral studies at Boston College in 1980 and attended Clinical Pastoral Education at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1975. He also participated in the Israel Study Program with students from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois in 1994. A veteran of the US Navy, Father Keating participated in the V-12 Program at Villanova from 1943-1945 and served on board the USS Pentheus from 1945 to 1946. He was honorably discharged on May 18, 1946 and received the following honors and distinctions for his service: Pacific Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, and Victory Medal. Wake Services will be held at Immaculate Conception Monastery, 86-45 Edgerton Blvd, Jamaica, New York on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm with a Prayer Service from 7:00pm to 7:30pm. Fr. Keating’s body will then be transferred to St. Ann’s Basilica, 1233 St. Ann Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania on Thursday, January 19, 2023 and Wake Services held in the Basilica from 4:00pm to 6:00pm with a Prayer Service from 6:10pm to 6:30pm. On Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10:00am a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Ann Basilica. Immediately after the Mass, Fr. Keating’s body will be interred at St. Ann Monastery Cemetery in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Donations in memory of Father Keating may be made to Passionist Missionaries at the Passionist Provincial Offices, 86-45 Edgerton Blvd Jamaica, New York 11432.

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