Assignment Record – Rev. Mark H. Wehmann

Summary of Case: A St. Paul-Minneapolis priest ordained in 2003, Wehmann has been the subject of several reported incidents of "boundary violations" with children. Among these was a 2006 report by a family about Wehmann's overly intimate behavior with their children when he was a guest in their home. He admitted to the behavior, which included what the priest called "root beer kisses." Wehmann was placed on leave in December 2013. In June 2016 Archbishop Hebda announced that Wehmann would be returned to active ministry, as recommended by the Ministerial Review Board.

Ordained: 2003

   

Start Stop Parish/Assignment Town/Accusations State/Country Position Notes

2003

St. Paul and Minneapolis archbishop was Harry Joseph Flynn (1995-2008).

2005 Holy Trinity South St. Paul MN 2/2, 1/1 Holy Trinity had a school with 349 students, and a religious education program with 187-178 students.
2003 2005 St. Augustine's South St. Paul MN 2/2, 1/1 St. Augustine's had a religious education program with 178 students.
2005 2007 Church of the Epiphany

Coon Rapids

• In 2006 the parents of two young children reported to Epiphany school officials behavior by Wehmann in their home with their two young children that concerned them. They said Wehmann gave the children what he called "root beer barrel kisses", whereby two people put their cheeks together then stick their tongues toward their cheeks. They said, too, that Wehmann patted one of the children on the hip as they sat side by side. Wehmann admitted to the behavior. The incidents were reported to law enforcement; Wehmann was not charged.

MN 4/5 Epiphany had a school with 750 students and a religious education program with 1,140-1,027 students.
2007 2008         Wehmann is not indexed in the 2008 Directory.

2008

John Clayton Nienstedt succeeded Flynn as archbishop (2008-).

2009 St. Vincent de Paul Brooklyn Park MN 2/2 St. Vincent de Paul's had a school with 425 students, and a religious education program with 1,055 students.
2009 2013 St. Bridget of Sweden Lindstrom MN 1/1 St. Bridget's had a religious education program with 319-269 students.
    Fairview University Hospital Minneapolis MN part-time chaplain  
    Chisago County Jail Center City MN chaplain  
July 2013 December 2013 St. Boniface Minneapolis MN pastor Wehmann was placed on leave by the archdiocese in December 2013 due to several reports of "boundary violations" with children.
December 2013 June 2016 Administrative Leave Minneapolis MN   Archbishop Hebda announced on June 24, 2016 that Wehmann would be returned to active ministry, as recommended by the Ministerial Review Board. He stated that Wehmann had received extensive professional counseling and spiritual direction.

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 2004-2012)

• 2 Priests on Leave Pending Review, CBS Minnesota, December 29, 2013
• 2 Minn. Priests on Leave Pending Review, By Megan Stewart, KAAL, December 29, 2013
• Two Priests Reported to Police, By Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio, December 29, 2013
• Minneapolis, Mendota Priests Take Leave after "Inappropriate Conduct" Revealed, By Raya Zimmerman, Pioneer Press, December 29, 2013
• Two Minnesota Priests Put on Leave While under Review, By Jim Adams, Star Tribune, December 29, 2013
• Statement Regarding Father Mark Wehmann, By Jim Accurso, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, December 29, 2013
• Judge Grants Archdiocese More Time to Name Accused Priests, By Emily Gurnon, Pioneer Press, January 3, 2014
• Judge Gives Archdiocese More Time to Name Accused Priests, By Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune, January 3, 2014
• Priest's 'Boundary Invasion' in Anoka County Alarmed Parents, Police Report Details, By Emily Gurnon, The Pioneer Press, January 7, 2014
• Statement Regarding Rev. Mark Wehmann, Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, June 24, 2016



Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Wehmann's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on October 10, 2016.