St. Paul: Priest Gets His Exposure Case Sealed
By Emily Gurnon
A priest formerly assigned to a Chanhassen parish has persuaded a judge to seal the record of his conviction for indecent exposure in a St. Paul park. Michael John Krenik, 55, has been banned from public ministry since his November 2010 arrest. He wants to become a hospital chaplain, his attorney, Paul Engh, told Ramsey County District Judge Judith Tilsen on Wednesday, Jan. 23. "I truly regret and am sorry for my actions of Nov. 4, 2010," Krenik said, standing before the judge in his clerical collar. He said he wanted the conviction expunged so that he could "begin anew" in his relationship with the city, the church and himself. Engh told the court that as a parish priest, Krenik offered forgiveness to others on a regular basis. The expungement process "is the closest thing we have to forgiveness in the law," Engh said. "There should be a soft place in the law for second chances." The St. Paul city attorney's office did not oppose the expungement. The state Human Services Department did oppose it. Krenik's misdemeanor conviction was dismissed in November 2011 upon completion of his probation. His criminal file will be sealed from public view in 60 days, pending potential appeals by law enforcement and other agencies. Tilsen noted in court that she had received a letter on the expungement matter from Archbishop John Nienstedt. Jim Accurso, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, declined to elaborate on the letter, saying the archdiocese "respects the privacy of its employees and does not comment on personnel matters." After the hearing, the judge said through her clerk that Nienstedt wrote in favor of the expungement. Krenik was pastor at St. Hubert Catholic Community in Chanhassen at the time of his arrest. He exposed himself to a St. Paul police officer in the early afternoon at the river flats near Eustis Street and Mississippi River Boulevard, just north of the Marshall Avenue-Lake Street bridge. He told Tilsen on Wednesday that he had received treatment at Saint John Vianney Center in Philadelphia. The center's website says it specializes "in the treatment of behavioral health issues that are unique to Catholic clergy and consecrated religious, as well as the clergy of other major Christian denominations ..." with an approach that "focuses on recovery, reconciliation and a return to ministry." Several other men were arrested in the police sting the same day as Krenik. Police have conducted regular sweeps of the area, as well as Crosby Park, because of lewd acts in public. Engh said after the hearing that he and Krenik were "delighted" with the judge's ruling. Contact: egurnon@pioneerpress.comtwincities.com
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