Central Minnesota Catholic Priest Charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct, Stalking After Alleged Violent Relationship with Woman
A Catholic priest serving five parishes in central Minnesota is being charged in Stearns County District Court after he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a woman that turned violent.
The woman told police that Father Joseph Herzing gave her spiritual advice and comfort through confession in 2018 while he was serving as a priest in Little Falls. Between 2018 and 2022, multiple people told church leadership they saw inappropriate intimate conduct between the 61-year-old priest and the woman, including Herzing being at her home late at night and early in the morning. In February 2022, the relationship escalated to violence when he allegedly choked and threatened to kill her. In May 2022, the woman saw a text message that led her to believe Herzing was involved in an intimate relationship with someone else, and she confronted him. Herzing choked her, wrestled her to the ground, pulled her hair and threatened to kill her. In August of 2022, the two got into a physical altercation at an event in Milaca, and on the motorcycle ride home, she says he threatened to ride into a tree and kill them both, and also drove toward an oncoming semi truck before swerving out of its path.
In August of 2024, St. Cloud police began investigating the reported sexual abuse, and the next month, Bishop Neary learned that a report had been made to police regarding the allegations in 2022 and that an investigation was underway. Despite this, the bishop allowed Herzing to continue serving as pastor under severe restrictions and monitoring.
Bishop Neary was notified of charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, stalking and three counts of making threats of violence on Wednesday, November 26th, and immediately placed Herzing on administrative leave. He is prohibited from all public ministry pending the outcome of the criminal case. His next court date is December 29th. Retired diocesan priest Father Arlie Sowada has been named parochial administrator of the affected parishes.
https://knsiradio.com/2025/12/01/central...ith-woman/
I guess the point of this story is that the priest was not fired although the Church knew he had a relationship with a woman, but only when it turned out repeatedly that this relationship was violent was he removed. Which means that the Catholic priests are allowed to have affairs with women and even families as long as they don't get in the news for beating the shit out of them.
A Catholic priest serving five parishes in central Minnesota is being charged in Stearns County District Court after he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a woman that turned violent.
The woman told police that Father Joseph Herzing gave her spiritual advice and comfort through confession in 2018 while he was serving as a priest in Little Falls. Between 2018 and 2022, multiple people told church leadership they saw inappropriate intimate conduct between the 61-year-old priest and the woman, including Herzing being at her home late at night and early in the morning. In February 2022, the relationship escalated to violence when he allegedly choked and threatened to kill her. In May 2022, the woman saw a text message that led her to believe Herzing was involved in an intimate relationship with someone else, and she confronted him. Herzing choked her, wrestled her to the ground, pulled her hair and threatened to kill her. In August of 2022, the two got into a physical altercation at an event in Milaca, and on the motorcycle ride home, she says he threatened to ride into a tree and kill them both, and also drove toward an oncoming semi truck before swerving out of its path.
In August of 2024, St. Cloud police began investigating the reported sexual abuse, and the next month, Bishop Neary learned that a report had been made to police regarding the allegations in 2022 and that an investigation was underway. Despite this, the bishop allowed Herzing to continue serving as pastor under severe restrictions and monitoring.
Bishop Neary was notified of charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, stalking and three counts of making threats of violence on Wednesday, November 26th, and immediately placed Herzing on administrative leave. He is prohibited from all public ministry pending the outcome of the criminal case. His next court date is December 29th. Retired diocesan priest Father Arlie Sowada has been named parochial administrator of the affected parishes.
https://knsiradio.com/2025/12/01/central...ith-woman/
I guess the point of this story is that the priest was not fired although the Church knew he had a relationship with a woman, but only when it turned out repeatedly that this relationship was violent was he removed. Which means that the Catholic priests are allowed to have affairs with women and even families as long as they don't get in the news for beating the shit out of them.
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
