ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A Catholic priest has been charged with stalking, criminal sexual conduct and violence against a woman whom he was spiritually advising. This is the second St. Cloud-area priest accused of inappropriate conduct in the past two months.
The Stearns County Attorney’s Office filed charges on Wednesday against Joseph Paul Herzing, 61, of Milaca, for one count each of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and stalking, and three counts of threats of violence in connection with the abuse and intimidation. The abuse occurred between May 2018 and October 2022, according to the criminal complaint.
During the time of the incidents, Herzing served as a priest in Little Falls and St. Cloud, according to law enforcement. He was ordained at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud in 1999, and later was appointed as pastor of Christ the King in Browerville, St. Joseph in Clarissa, St. Joseph in Grey Eagle, St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Long Prairie, and St. John the Baptist in Swanville in June 2024, according to the Diocese of St. Cloud. Herzing was immediately put on leave following the charges being filed in Stearns County, St. Cloud Bishop Patrick Neary said in a statement dated last Thursday.
St. Cloud police began investigating Herzing in August 2024, following a report from a woman who said she received spiritual advice, aid and comfort in the form of confession from Herzing while in Little Falls in 2018. Herzing then moved to a church in St. Cloud and began regularly advising the victim there through October 2022.
Church leadership received multiple reports from people saying they observed “conduct indicative of an inappropriate intimate relationship” between Herzing and the woman, such as the priest being at her residence late at night and early in the morning.
When diocesan leadership became aware of the situation in 2022, there was no indication of physical or sexual misconduct, Neary said.
Then-Bishop Donald Kettler, who retired in December 2022, met with Herzing and immediately placed him on administrative leave to undergo a comprehensive professional evaluation, according to the diocese. He entered and completed a residential treatment program for “exhibiting inappropriate boundaries” with the woman, investigators said in the complaint.
Neary returned Herzing to active ministry in June 2023 with “limited responsibility” in Cold Spring, Rockville, Richmond and Jacobs Prairie while continuing treatment. The bishop said that restrictions and monitoring on Herzing were put in place.
Herzing and the woman had multiple violent interactions in 2022, including several death threats, according to the criminal complaint.
In February 2022, Herzing assaulted the victim, including choking and threatening to kill her, in a residence in St. Cloud. Later, in May 2022, she walked from her St. Cloud residence to a river while having suicidal thoughts. After convincing her to return home, Herzing said he should have “just let (the woman) kill herself.” He later physically assaulted her after she saw Herzing receive a text she believed was from someone he was in an intimate relationship with. Once again, he threatened to kill her.
Herzing took the woman to an event in Milaca on his motorcycle in August 2022 and threatened to kill them both by crashing into a tree. The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.
Investigators used witness statements, texts and police reports to corroborate the woman’s statement. Reports showed that Herzing “admitted to kissing (the victim) on two occasions but denied having a spiritual guidance with her.”
“My commitment is to ensure that our response is clear and rooted in care for all those affected,” Neary said. “We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities and accompany our communities with honesty and compassion.”
Neary added that he encourages all victims of abuse to come forward to civil authorities or diocesan victim advocates.
Herzing is scheduled to make his first appearance in Stearns County District Court on Dec. 29.
Pattern of priest misconduct
In October, another Catholic priest with the St. Cloud diocese was accused of sexual misconduct with a woman while being her spiritual adviser. Aaron John Kuhn, 47, of Wadena, was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct in Stearns County court.
A woman told law enforcement she had sexual contact with Kuhn between September 2019 and October 2022 while he was providing her “with spiritual direction,” according to the Stearns County Attorney’s Office. She said Kuhn used his role as a spiritual adviser to manipulate and pressure her into engaging in sexual acts.
According to court records, Kuhn is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 15.
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