A beloved Catholic priest in Seneca, Kansas, Father Arul Carasala, was fatally shot on Thursday, April 3, while he remained in his church rectory. The alleged shooter, Gary Hermesch, 66, reportedly surrendered to authorities and was charged with first-degree murder.
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According to a news release issued by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), a 911 call reported shots fired at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church at around 2:50 p.m. Five minutes later, Nemaha County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived and found Father Carasala outside of his residence. He was "suffering from gunshot wounds."
Father Carasala was transported to the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital. Despite receiving life-saving measures, he tragically died of his injuries.
As reported by The Kansas City Star, a witness named Betty Haug reportedly saw the alleged shooter, Gary Mermesch, fatally shoot his weapon on Father Carasala. At the time, fourth graders from the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School were playing outside during recess.
Arrested And Charged
The outlet then reported that, following the shooting, Hermesch traveled to the Nemeha County Sheriff's Office and turned himself in. Hermesch's brother reportedly works at the sheriff's office as a dispatcher. According to The Kansas City Star, Gay Hermesch was charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
The Archbishop of Kansas City, Joseph Fred Naumann, called Father Carasala's death a "senseless act of violence."
"Fr. Carasala was a devoted and zealous pastor who faithfully served our Archdiocese for over twenty years, including as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall region," Archbishop Naumann wrote on a
Facebook post. "His love for Christ and His Church was evident in how he ministered to his people with great generosity and care. His parishioners, friends, and brother priests will deeply miss him.""In this time of sorrow, let us entrust Fr. Carasala to the mercy of God and lift up in prayer his family in Cuddapah, India, his parish community at Saints Peter and Paul in Seneca, and all who mourn his passing. Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart."
According to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church website, Father Arul Carasala became a priest in 1994 in India. He served at the Diocese of Kansas from 2004, becoming an American citizen on May 20, 2011. Two months later, he became the Pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish on July 15, 2011.
Hermesch And The Catholic Church
Hermesch has been very vocal about the current state of the Catholic Church. As per The Kansas City Star, he has previously blamed Jewish people and the Vatican II for destroying the church. Hermasch has claimed that the church had become too modern.
Additionally, he compared President Donald Trump to John F. Kennedy in a letter published on January 20, 2021.
"JFK was always 'the man,' whether it be a debate, speech, press conference, or whatever, but not in the sense where he tried to 'dominate and crush' the way Trump does," Hermersch wrote. "Why? Because even though he obviously had a lot of trouble living up to it, he at least lived in a time when he had a properly formed conscience (knowledge of the difference between right and wrong), and everybody knows knowledge is power."
No clear motive behind Hermesch's alleged murder was provided by the KBI.
