This week, St Paul priest, Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, was removed as pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish in St. Paul , according to a statement from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis..
The Minneapolis Tribune reported that :
St. Paul police filed a report Thursday that said a juvenile reported being sexually abused by Wehmeyer for two years, starting in 2010. Police arrested Wehmeyer on Friday. He has been released, and has not been charged.
Police spokesman Howie Padilla said the victim was a boy, but could not divulge more details because of the ongoing investigation.
Father Curtis Wehmeyer was named pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle and Blessed Sacrament in 2009, both in St. Paul.
He has served as parochial administrator at Blessed Sacrament and previously was associate pastor at St. Joseph in West St. Paul, after
his 2001 ordination.
It is important that the message keep getting out and that those who give voice to disclosure continue to be supported and representatives of the Church truly practice a policy of zero tolerance. Secrecy and nondisclosure is what this festering scab does not need.
Abuse of children and the continued silence by the offenders needs to be prevented. If you suffered, saw, or suspected such events, it is important to know that there is help out there.
A founding partner with Bradshaw & Bryant, Mike Bryant has always fought to find justice for his clients—knowing that legal troubles, both personal injury and criminal, can be devastating for a family. Voted a Top 40 Personal Injury "Super Lawyer" multiple years, Mr. Bryant has also been voted one of the Top 100 Minnesota "Super Lawyers" four times.
11 Comments
Judy Jones
This brave victim is to be commended for speaking up and coming forward about being sexually abused.
We hope that others who have knowledge or may have been harmed by Curtis Carl Wehmeyer, will contact the police, a therapist, or a support group. That is the best way to expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing. Best to not report your abuse to the church officials, they are not the proper officials to be investigating sex crimes against kids, the police are the proper officials.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims.
SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word "priest" in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers and increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org).
Mike Bryant
Very good point Judy, thank you for reading and the insightful comment.
Rob
I knew Curtis from his St. Thomas days. If I was in a crowded room with say thousands of people, I could pick the child molesters out. Curtis would fit the textbook definition of one. Shy, soft spoken, introverted, and fooled around with other seminarians.
Mike Bryant
That could be helpful information and a reason why people need to come forward early. Thanks for reading.
Motherof5
To Rob:
"Be careful how you describe what a sexual predator might be." There are many persons (including priests) who are shy, soft spoken, and introverted that fully embrace the life of Christ and would never harm a child. At times a predator can be someone who is quite outspoken and social. We cannot judge a book by its cover. Only God knows each man's heart. I encourage you not to look in the direction of the introvert and say, "There's a predator."
God bless you!
An introverted mother who cares
Mike Bryant
Well we will see what happens with the criminal charges. Thank you for reading and the comment.
Rob
To Motherof5:
Sometimes to make a point you have to go to an extreme. My point is that yes you cannot judge a book by its cover. In this case, I met Wehmeyer a handful of times and observed him. He fits the shy and quiet type. Wehmeyer has a criminal history that includes approaching young men drunk in public. Wehmeyer had a DWI arrest in 2009 and was observed approaching young men and asking them if they wanted to party. Wehmeyer used to hangout with seminarians that fooled around with other men. I know this from personal experience. You are correct though. Sexual predators can come in any form. Human behavior is unpredictable.
Rob
Article on Wehmeyer's arrest in 2009. http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20974188/st-paul-priest-suspected-sex-assault-minor-has
Motherof5
Hello Rob,
I too knew Father Wehymeyer prior to his vocation as a priest. Honestly, I would not have suspected him of this. But after reading his 2009 record, I would venture to guess that he may be guilty. It is truly disheartening to hear that a child has been abused. A good and holy priest once told me, "Trust no one." I am assuming this includes priests. How unfortunate, though, for those priests who are faithful to their call and probably trustworthy to be looked at as pedophiles because of quite a few fallen priests. Father Wehmeyer needs to be held accountable! We should pray for him and all priests. Perhaps he they all need to live the monastic life away from our children? Hearing these stories certainly has made me struggle with my faith. I am angry and will forever remain cautious with everyone I meet in person. Thank you for your post.
Mike Bryant
Thank you again for the additional comments.
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