Bishop-elect Kemme, age 53, will succeed now-Archbishop Michael O. Jackels, who in April 2013 was named head of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa.
Bishop-elect Kemme said he was “deeply humbled and honored by the appointment of Pope Francis as the 11th bishop of the Diocese of Wichita.”
“To be a bishop in the church has never been something I have sought or dreamed possible,” he said. “I have accepted this assignment relying solely on God’s grace and mercy to help me fulfill the lofty responsibilities of this office. The confidence our beloved Holy Father has shown in me is a source of humility and peace in knowing that God chooses the weak and sinful to accomplish his great mission in the world.”
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said that he believes Pope Francis has made wise choice in selecting the new bishop.
“Pope Francis has recognized the gifts and talents of Msgr. Carl Kemme and has chosen wisely in selecting him to be Bishop of Wichita,” the bishop said. “His parents, family, friends, fellow clergy and I have known for many years that Bishop-elect Kemme is a man of deep faith and love for the Lord and the people of God. We will all be sorry to see him leave our diocese, but we congratulate him on his appointment and rejoice that he will share his abundant abilities with the wider church as a successor of the apostles. I am personally very grateful to Bishop-elect Kemme for his devoted dedication as vicar general and moderator of the curia, as well as for his skillful service as diocesan administrator prior to my appointment as bishop of Springfield in Illinois.
“May God bless Bishop-elect Kemme and the people of the Diocese of Wichita!” he said.
Bishop-elect Kemme is the son of Donald and Marita (Kortte) Kemme. He has four brothers and one sister and grew up on a small family farm in rural Shumway. His family attended and his parents are still members of the Church of the Annunciation Parish there.
He was a student at Shumway Elementary School and Beecher City High School and then attended St. Henry’s Preparatory Seminary in Belleville where he received his high school diploma. He entered the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield in 1978, and then graduated from Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, where he earned the bachelor of arts and the master of divinity degrees.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 10, 1986 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
After his ordination, he served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick, Decatur; Ss. Peter and Paul, Collinsville; and Blessed Sacrament, Springfield. He has served as pastor of St. Mary, Brussels, St. Joseph, Meppen, and St. Barbara, Batchtown (1992-1996); Holy Family, Decatur (1996-2002); St. Peter, Petersburg (2002-2005); and St. John Vianney, Sherman (2005-2012).
In 2002, he was appointed vicar general/moderator of the curia by then-Bishop George J. Lucas, and additionally served as diocesan chancellor from January to June 2005. When Bishop Lucas was named head of the Archdiocese of Omaha in June 2009, Msgr. Kemme served as diocesan administrator until June 2010 when Bishop Paprocki was installed for the Springfield see. Msgr. Kemme has continued to serve as vicar general/moderator of the curia for Bishop Paprocki.
On Aug. 23, 2002, he was named a Prelate of Honor with the title Monsignor by Blessed John Paul II. Msgr. Kemme is a fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher. He was chaplain for the Courage Apostolate in the diocese.
Bishop-elect Kemme was introduced to the Wichita diocese Feb. 20 at a morning news conference in Wichita. The new bishop began by inviting those present and those watching the live-streamed video on the Internet to join him in praying the Memorare. He then gave “a profound and heartfelt word of gratitude to God for every blessing I have received from him, but in a special way for the blessing to begin a new ministry in the church, the pastoral office of bishop for the diocese of Wichita.”
“As I will say many times and with utter sincerity, I was not seeking this appointment and in many ways was surprised to learn of it. ...You know the old saying, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. My plan, after my time in administration, was to resume the life of a pastor, which is what I had always thought I was ordained for. But seemingly God has other plans. And here I am before you today.”
Bishop-elect Kemme said that although he will miss family, friends and the people of the Springfield diocese, he looked forward to serving the church in the diocese of Wichita.
“You are now my new family and with you I will make my new home,” he said. “I believe very strongly that bishops are wedded to their dioceses and I want to pledge to you, vow to you, my love, my constant support, my work, my prayers and my pastoral concern as I serve you as bishop and live among you as a brother in the Lord.”
Bishop-elect Kemme’s episcopal ordination will be held on May 1 in Wichita.
“Of course, I will miss my family, my friends, my bishop, my brother priests, and co-workers in our diocesan curia in the Diocese of Springfield, but at the same time look forward to making my home now in the State of Kansas and in the Diocese of Wichita,” Bishop-elect Kemme said in short statement released Feb. 20 by the Springfield diocese.
The Diocese of Wichita was erected in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. According to the diocesan website, the diocese covers 20,021 square miles and includes 25 counties in the southeast corner of the state. It is home to 114,195 Catholics in 90 parishes.