Background
O'Keefe, Joseph Thomas was born on March 12, 1919 in New York City, Educated Cathedral College, New York City, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers, New York, Catholic U., Washington. Ordained Roman Catholic priest, 1948.
O'Keefe, Joseph Thomas was born on March 12, 1919 in New York City, Educated Cathedral College, New York City, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers, New York, Catholic U., Washington. Ordained Roman Catholic priest, 1948.
Student, Cathedral College, New York City. Student, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers. Student, Catholic University, Washington.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York on April 17, 1948. During his priestly ministry, he served as a curate at St. Luke's Church and biology instructor and dean at Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx. He also taught biology at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry and at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers.
On July 3, 1982, O'Keefe was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of New York and Titular Bishop of Tres Tabernae by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 8 from Cardinal Terence Cooke, with Archbishop John Joseph Maguire and Bishop Harold Robert Perry, S.V.D., serving as co-consecrators, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Upon the resignation of Bishop Francis James Harrison, O'Keefe was named the eighth Bishop of Syracuse on June 16, 1987. He was installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the following August 3.
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, he resigned as bishop on April 4, 1995. O'Keefe died from heart failure at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, aged 78.