Charged: a Priest in My Diocese

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Brian H. Gill
Google Maps: central Minnesota.
Central Minnesota, including Stearns County/St. Cloud area. (Google Maps)

No matter how it turns out, this is not good news. And it’s uncomfortably close to home.

“Minnesota priest accused of sexual abuse, threatening woman”
Bring Me The News (December 8, 2025)

“A Minnesota priest is accused of sexually abusing, physically assaulting and threatening to kill a woman who sought spiritual guidance from him, according to new criminal charges…

“Joseph Herzing, 61, was charged late last month in Stearns County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, stalking and three counts of threatening violence.…

“…St. Cloud police launched an investigation last year after the woman came forward with the allegations….

“…In one of the incidents, the woman confronted Herzing about a text message from a person she suspected he was having an intimate relationship with.

“Charges allege Herzing became ‘irate’, choked the woman, wrestled her to the ground, hit her head against the pavement, pulled her hair and threatened to kill her.

“In another 2022 incident, the woman was riding on Herzing’s motorcycle when he allegedly threatened to kill the woman and himself by driving into a tree. He then drove into oncoming traffic towards a semi-truck and swerved after the semi honked to avoid collision, charges state….

“…The statement confirms diocesan leadership ‘was made aware of potential inappropriate behavior between Father Herzing and an adult’ in 2022, but claims ‘there was no indication of physical or sexual misconduct.’

“Then-Bishop Donald Kettler met with Father Herzing and immediately placed him on administrative leave to undergo a comprehensive professional evaluation,” the St. Cloud Diocese shared. ‘Father Herzing then entered and completed a residential treatment program.’…”
[emphasis mine]

First off, all I know about this is what I read in that Bring Me The News article, and the St. Cloud Diocese statement:

November 27, 2025: A statement regarding Father Joe Herzing
News Release, Diocese of St. Cloud
Media Contact: Kristi Anderson, Director of Communications

“…In September 2024, Bishop Neary was informed that a report was made to authorities related to the concerns raised in 2022 and that an investigation was underway. The bishop allowed Father Herzing to continue as pastor while remaining under restrictions and monitoring.

“When Bishop Neary was alerted of the criminal charges on Nov. 26, 2025. Father Herzing was immediately placed on full administrative leave….

“…Bishop Neary remains committed to transparency, accountability and the protection of all involved.

“‘We have a responsibility to protect the safety and dignity of every person. My commitment is to ensure that our response is clear and rooted in care for all those affected. We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities and accompany our communities with honesty and compassion.'”

“Bishop Neary asks the faithful to join him in prayer and encourages all victims of abuse to come forward to civil authorities or diocesan victim advocates….”
[emphasis mine]

As my wife pointed out, this is very early days. The charges are, I hope obviously, serious.

I think it is possible that the current re-investigation will uncover evidence that offenses were committed. Or that they weren’t.

Attitudes and Assumptions

Thomas Nast's ''DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT', 'What the Irish Roman Catholic Children will be told to do next. Kick it out peaceably'. Harper's Weekly (November 18, 1871) see https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/ss:3293832
Thomas Nast’s cartoon, ‘DON’T BELIEVE IN THAT’, Harper’s Weekly (November 18, 1871)

Either way, I very strongly suspect that there will be the usual ‘you know what Catholics are like’ attitudes expressed.

On the other hand, maybe more folks have learned that ‘those Catholics’ aren’t dangerous outsiders, a threat to their country and their families.

About what Bishop Neary said, I realize that prayer won’t solve everything.

Neither, for that matter, will having civil authorities investigate — or, if I’m reading it right, re-investigating — these charges. No matter what laws are passed and how many times investigators investigate, some people who should know better will act badly.

And some folks ‘who should know better’ will show by their actions that they do know better.

Making Sense

Rembrandt's sketched figure composition: 'Jesus und Ehebrecherin', 'Jesus and the Adulteress'. (ca. 1639-41)
Rembrandt’s “Jesus and the Adulteress”. (ca. 1640)

Me? Even though I’m aware that my prayers — and my actions — won’t magically make everyone behave, I’ll keep praying.

And I’ll keep saying that loving God, loving my neighbors, and remembering that everyone is my neighbor, makes sense. (Matthew 5:43–44, 22:36–40; Mark 12:28–31; Luke 6:31, 10:25–27, 29–37; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2196)

Finally, no matter how this turns out, I’ll keep being a Catholic. That’s because I take Jesus seriously, and realize that we live in a distinctly non-ideal world:

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Freckles is a Girl: Remembering a Dog Next Door

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Brian H. Gill
Anonymous photo from The Old Car Manual Project: Brochures. 1957 Pontiac Chieftain four-door sedan. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Chieftain
My folks had a 1957 Pontiac Chieftain four-door sedan, not unlike this one.

The house next door north from 818 went through several owners, residents at any rate, while my folks and I were living there.

I don’t remember anything about the folks or person who owned Freckles, but I remember the mid-sized dog.

Freckles may have been a particular sort of dog, but that’s another thing I don’t know about her. Think of a Cocker or English Springer Spaniel, and you’ve got a good idea of her appearance.1

Our next-door-north neighbors had a fenced-in back yard at that time. Our driveway ran alongside for a dozen feet or so before reaching the garage.

That meant we’d often stop the car there before opening the garage door. By hand. Garage door openers were a new thing for me, later on, and that’s another topic.

Anyway, we’d stop the car.

Then, ky-yi-ing around the back of our neighbor’s house, came Freckles: ears flapping, legs a blur, and barking dire alarms as she curved toward us.

Then, a yard or so from the fence, she’d recognize us. And keep running. Only now she was wagging her tail — and hindquarters — barking cheerful greetings. Which we, of course, acknowledged, and spent a minute or two extended our greetings to this volubly-cheerful neighbor.

For some reason, at first I had pegged Freckles as being a “he”. Dogs, like humans, aren’t all that dimorphic, and I’m drifting off-topic.

But early on my folks and I noticed that Freckles was a “she”. From that point on “Freckles is a girl” became a catchphrase when meeting her.

Neighbors and Attitudes

I’m not sure how we established that we belonged there and were not a threat to her or her territory. Maybe it was a simple matter of not acting like a threat.

Maybe it’s like my oldest daughter said, when we were chatting last Tuesday evening:

“I can see the ears flapping like she’s about to take off. If she was part spaniel, wouldn’t be hard to make friends.”

Then again, maybe my father introduced himself and established our status as friendly neighbors. He was very good at that sort of thing. Odd, in a way, since his temper was as volcanic as mine. But he’s also half-Irish, and that’s yet another topic. Topics:

Ratsniffer's photo: 'An English Springer Spaniel in a Field'. (November 1, 2023)
‘Ratsniffer’s’ photo: “An English Springer Spaniel in a Field”. (2023)

1 Freckles may have been at least part-spaniel:

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Jesus Matters, Hope is an Option: Advent 2025

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Brian H. Gill

Today is the first day of Advent. Among many other things, this season is a good time for remembering that hope is always an option: no matter what’s going wrong at the moment.

Celebrating the Moment When God Became One of Us

Photo taken by a member of the ISS Expedition 53 crew: '...the sweep of the coastline of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The cluster of lights at image center includes the major population centers of the Levant. The brightest lights are the cities of Tel Aviv in Israel, Amman in Jordan, and Beirut in Lebanon.....' (September 28, 2017)
City lights by the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Photo from the ISS. (2017)

My culture doesn’t have a seasonal phrase like “Jolly Advent!”, which may explain why I could buy Advent calendars, but not Advent cards.

For me, and quite a few other folks, today is the start of Advent. It’s a pretty big deal, which is one reason this household has an Advent calendar. It’s the same one we’ve used for I don’t know how many years.

As for why Advent matters, it’s when we get ready for celebrating that moment in time when God became one of us. As I said, it’s a pretty big deal.

Pope St. John Paul II talked about that, and some current events, in 1998. Here’s a link to that, and some other resources:

Advent, Christmas, and Jesus: a Very Quick Review

Carl Bloch's 'The Shepherds and the angel' (1879)
“The Shepherds and the Angel”, Carl Bloch. (1879)

Because this is Advent, I’ll be getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus: the man who is God, whose birth was announced by otherworldly beings, who died and then stopped being dead, and who offers forgiveness and life to anyone who accepts him.

Again: it’s a pretty big deal.

I’ve talked about that, why we need a Savior, and what’s happened over the last two millennia, before:

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Matchstick Rockets in the Basement

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Brian H. Gill

I’ve said it before. This isn’t the world I grew up in.

Today’s focus on safety, for example, feels over-enthusiastic.

But then, I’m one of those people who launched rockets in the basement. With the permission and cooperation of my father.

I’m not sure how old I was at the time. Early teens is my guess. We were still living at 818, so it could have been while I was in sixth grade, or maybe fifth. Anyway, the Space Age was very much in progress.

I don’t know where I learned about making a rocket with a match, aluminum foil, and a pin; but seeing how it worked seemed like a good idea.

It’s quite simple.

Paperclips, Pins, and Tiny Rockets

Take a match, a scrap of aluminum foil, and a pin. Set the match and the pin on the aluminum foil, with the pin sidelong the match with its point touching the match head.1

Contemporary sensitivities being what they are, I’ll point out the obvious:

  • Contains flammable materials
  • Do not swallow
  • May have been in contact with peanuts
  • Burning your fingers hurts
  • Do not use as earplugs

I’ve probably missed something, but will assume that you have a smidgen of sense.

Keeping the pin where it is by the match, wrap the aluminum foil around both, then pull the pin out.

Bend a paperclip so that one end will lie flat on the ground or floor, with the other at about a 45 degree angle. Put the paperclip on the ground or floor.

Put the wrapped match on the little ramp, being careful not to crush the tiny tube left when you pulled out the pin, with the open end of the tiny tube at or near the bottom of the ramp.

Light a match, hold the flame under the aluminum-foil-covered match head.

The enclosed match head should light, hot gas and smoke should shoot out the tiny tube, and the whole tiny rocket should fly off the ramp.

Technically Flammable, But Our Safest Option

That Science Guys video says you should try launching your matchstick rockets outside. That’s a good idea, actually, if the only inside spaces you can use contain carpeting, paper, wood shavings, or open containers of gasoline.

But for me and my father, the basement hallway was probably the safest spot we had.

Outside, even if we launched from a concrete surface, the matchstick rocket might have landed in grass or among leaves. Likely, maybe not; but possible, yes.

The basement hallway, on the other hand, was concrete with linoleum flooring. The walls were, technically, flammable; but igniting them would take much more than one match.

The test flights were a great success. The longest one, my memory tells me, went more than four feet from the paperclip launching ramp.

I only remember launching those matchstick rockets one time. But it’s among my happy memories, and connects with my interest in making and flying model rockets later on.

Technology, Thinking, and Taking it Easy

Brian H. Gill's photo: 4H model rocket exhibit at the Stearns County Fair. (2012)
Model rocket 4H exhibit at the Stearns County Fair. (2012)

I was surprised at how many folks have been writing about how you can make and fly matchstick rockets.

Some, most of the ones I noticed, included unnecessary extras like making little tiny fins for the things.

My oldest daughter pointed out that those fins would probably make the tiny rockets more stable. She’s right, but in such a short flight there’s not much time for the match-and-foil rocket to tumble.

I’m taking it easy this week, so I’ll skip talking about why I think that developing new technology, using our brains, and remembering that hope is an option — all make sense.

Besides, I’ve talked about that before; along with a quick recollection of 818:

1 More than you need, or maybe want, to know about:

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Thanksgiving Day 2025, Enjoying a Parade

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Brian H. Gill
Screenshot from NTD's YouTube coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025
Folks enjoying Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025)
Screenshot from NTD's YouTube coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025
A really big turkey in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025)
Screenshot from NTD's YouTube coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025
More folks enjoying Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. (November 27, 2025)

Nothing profound today, apart from still being around to enjoy being here: which is a pretty big deal.

I enjoyed watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. That’s been a high point of my holiday experience for quite some time now.

This year I stumbled onto NTD’s YouTube livestream — https://www.youtube.com/live/V4DYiJqXZHg?si=0VGMl_vr5XF7s-rg — which was delightfully free of network-generated chatter. I don’t know how long they’ll keep their live-replay up.

That’s it for me today. There’s a cup of coffee, a chair, and a window waiting for me.

Brian H. Gill's 'Thanks But I'm Stuf-.' (2021)

I posted something with a little more content last year:

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