Born in Tucson, Arizona he was ordained in the Benedictine Order in 1988. His assignments have included Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado, Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City, Colorado and Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction, Colorado. He began his present pastoral assignment in 2000. In a New York Times article about the Catholic Church's opposition to Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic Party presidential nominee, Father Kemberling said, "We are not telling them how to vote. We are telling them how to take Communion in good conscience."