Background
Carl Alan Kemme was born in Effingham, Illinois to Donald and Marita (Kortte) Kemme. He grew up with his four brothers and one sister on a farm near Shumway, Illinois.
Carl Alan Kemme was born in Effingham, Illinois to Donald and Marita (Kortte) Kemme. He grew up with his four brothers and one sister on a farm near Shumway, Illinois.
He was educated at the local public schools before enrolling at Saint Henry’s Preparatory Seminary in Belleville, Illinois where he graduated from high school. He enrolled at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Springfield, Illinois and graduated from Cardinal Glennon College in Saint Louis and Kenrick Seminary in Saint Louis.
Since 2014 he has been the eleventh bishop of the Diocese of Wichita in Kansas. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by Bishop Daniel L. Ryan on May 10, 1986. After ordination Kemme served as the parochial vicar at Saint Patrick Parish in Decatur, Illinois from 1986 to 1989, parochial vicar at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Collinsville, Illinois from 1989 to 1990 and parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield from 1990 to 1992.
He served as pastor at Saint Mary's Church in Brussels, Illinois, Saint Joseph Church in Meppen, Illinois, and Saint Barbara Church in Batchtown, Illinois from 1992 to 1996.
He was the administrator of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Parish in Mountain. Zion, Illinois from 1996 to 1997 and pastor of Holy Family Church in Decatur from 1996 to 2002.
Kemme served as the priest moderator of Saint James Parish in Decatur from 2001 to 2003. He served as pastor at Saint Peter Church in St. Petersburg, Illinois from 2002 to 2005 and vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Diocese Springfield in Illinois from 2002 to 2009.
On August 23, 2002 Pope John Paul II named Kemme a Prelate of Honor with the title Monsignor.
He served as pastor of Saint John Vianney Church in Sherman, Illinois and diocesan administrator sede vacante of the Springfield Diocese from 2009 to 2010 after Bishop George Lucas was named archbishop of Omaha. Keme was reassigned as the vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Springfield Diocese and served from 2010 to 2014. On February 20, 2014 Pope Francis appointed Kemme to be the eleventh bishop of Wichita.
He was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas on May 1, 2014 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.
Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha and Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield in Illinois were the principal co-consecrators.