A person fatally shot a Catholic priest outdoors his parish rectory in Kansas on Thursday in an assault with no recognized motive, the authorities stated.
The priest, Arul Carasala, 57, was discovered with gunshot wounds at round 3 p.m. by state troopers outdoors the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory in Seneca, Kan., in accordance with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The priest was dropped at a hospital the place he died from his accidents.
Shortly after, the authorities arrested Gary L. Hermesch, 66, who was booked into Nemaha County Jail on suspicion of first-degree homicide, the bureau stated. It remained unclear what led to Mr. Hermesch’s arrest. It was not instantly recognized if he had a lawyer.
A motive was not instantly given for the taking pictures. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation stated the investigation was ongoing.
“This mindless act of violence has left us grieving the lack of a beloved priest, chief, and pal,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas Metropolis stated on Fb. He added, “Allow us to additionally pray for the perpetrator, that God could contact and rework his coronary heart.”
Seneca is a city of about 2,000 folks in northern Kansas, close to the border with Nebraska. The authorities stated Mr. Hermesch is from Tulsa, Okla., which is about 300 miles south of Seneca.
Raj “Arul” Balaswamy Carasala was born in Cuddapah, India, a metropolis within the nation’s southeast. Based on an internet biography, Father Carasala turned the pastor of Saints Peter and Paul parish on July 15, 2011.
He was ordained within the Diocese of Cuddapah and moved in 2004 to Kansas, the place he served in 4 totally different parishes earlier than settling in Seneca.
Father Carasala turned an American citizen on Might 20, 2011, in accordance with the biography. He maintained his ties to India, and believed that “the church is house wherever he’s.”
Archbishop Naumann stated Mass on Thursday night in Father Carasala’s honor, in accordance with social media posts.
“Whereas we proceed to mourn the lack of Father Arul, I pray that we are going to not lose hope. God is with us in our adversity,” Archbishop Naumann stated. “He can deliver good out of evil.”
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