Michael James Dempsey, OP (February 12, 1912 – March 19, 1996) was an American-born Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Sokoto in Nigeria from 1967 to 1984.
James Edward Dempsey was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Joseph M. Demspey and Julia Mary McSherry.
Dempsey entered the Dominican novitiate at St. Rose Priory in Springfield, Kentucky, and took the religious name Michael.
He decided to join the newly established Province of St. Albert the Great and continued his theological studies at River Forest.
[2] Michael Dempsey taught English and religion at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, from 1943 to 1950.
[3] He was installed as the diocesan bishop in Sokoto on October 1, 1967, and continued to serve there until his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II on December 3, 1984.
Before his appointment as bishop there were anti-Igbo and anti-Christian riots in 1966 that left the diocese of Sokoto without most of its people, its only indigenous priest fled, and many of its church buildings were destroyed.