Father Michael Wempe – Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Assignment Record:

DatesAssignment
Approx. 1966 Ordained in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
1966 – 1969 St. John Chrysostom Church, Inglewood, CA
1969 St. Andrew’s Church, Pasadena, CA
1969 – 1973 St. Rose of Lima Church, Simi Valley, CA
1973 – 1977 St. Jude’s Church, Westlake Village, CA
1977 – 1978 Sacred Heart Church, Ventura, CA
1978 – 1984 Paraclete High School, Lancaster, CA
1978 – 1984 St. Mary’s Church (in residence), Palmdale, CA
1984 – 1986 St. Sebastian’s Church, Santa Paula, CA
1986 – 1987 “On Sabbatical” (attending Vatican II Institute)
1987 St. Sebastian’s Church, Santa Paula, CA
1987 Foundation House (in residence), Jemez Springs, NM
1988 – 2002 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (chaplain), Los Angeles, CA
1998 – 2002 Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (in residence), Los Angeles, CA
2002 – 2006 “Retired”
Source:
  • “Addendum to Report to the People of God: Clergy Sexual Abuse Archdiocese of Los Angeles
    1930-2003,” released by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2004.

Father Wempe was dismissed from the clerical state in 2006.

Summary:
  • Father Michael Wempe was accused of sexually abusing a male minor child on at least five occasions from approximately 1974 to 1975 when the boy was approximately 14 to 15 years old. The boy came to know Father Wempe when Father Wempe was serving at St. Rose of Lima Church in Simi Valley, California, though the sexual abuse took place while Father Wempe was assigned to St. Jude’s Church in Westlake Village, California.
  • The sexual abuse by Father Wempe took place in Father Wempe’s car and included the following: Father Wempe fondled the boy’s penis and masturbated the boy, and Father Wempe exposed his own penis to the boy and forced the boy to masturbate Father Wempe.
  • The claim settled in 2020 in the low six figures.