Kansas Catholic priest Arul Carasala dies after being shot at his church

[ad_1] A Catholic priest died in Kansas after being shot at his church’s rectory in an incident a fellow pastor advised Fox Information Digital has left his neighborhood in a "state of shock."

Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon following the assault on Father Arul Carasala, 57, on the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, in response to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Hermesch was detained on suspicion of first-degree homicide.

"We're all simply nonetheless in a state of shock. I imply, that is small-town America. And Father Arul was such a beloved pastor in Seneca, Kansas. He is been a pastor there for over 13 years," Father Brian Schieber, a Vicar Normal for the Archdiocese of Kansas Metropolis in Kansas, advised Fox Information Digital.

"A great shepherd is aware of his individuals by identify, and Father Arul knew everyone. He, over these years, baptized so many individuals, did so many weddings, funerals, he was such confessor and current to individuals who have been sick, had such pastoral knowledge, he's actually beloved by everyone," Schieber added.

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Father Arul Carasala, a pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kan., was fatally shot on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP/The Leaven)

Schieber described the capturing as a "mindless act of violence."

"We do not know what the motive for this was. And, , we're actually praying for the person who killed Father Arul as properly. And thanks all in your prayers," he mentioned.

Deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Workplace and officers from the Seneca Police Division responded to a 911 name "reporting photographs fired on the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory" round 3 p.m. native time Thursday, the KBI mentioned.

After they arrived, they found Carasala "outdoors the residence affected by gunshot wounds," it added.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann leads a mass on Thursday, April 3, on the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, following the dying of Carasala. (Jay Soldner/The Leaven)

"Seneca EMS arrived and transported Father Carasala to the Nemaha Valley Group Hospital. Regardless of life-saving measures, he died on the hospital from his accidents," the KBI additionally mentioned in an announcement.

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A mass was held at Carasala's church Thursday night time within the wake of the capturing.

Gary Hermesch was taken into custody in connection to the capturing. (Nemaha County Sheriff's Workplace)

"Father Arul was a pal to me and an amazing priest," Archbishop Joseph Naumann wrote on Fb Friday after main the mass. "I shared in my homily that being a priest in the present day requires heroic love. That high quality was evident in Father Arul, who left India to return to the heartland of America and serve the individuals of the Catholic Church in northeast Kansas."

"Whereas we proceed to mourn the lack of Father Arul, I pray that we'll not lose hope. God is with us in our adversity," Naumann added. "He can carry good out of evil. He can carry life out of dying. Allow us to draw nearer to Jesus throughout this time of sorrow and ask him to console our hearts."

Archbishop Joseph Naumann leads a mass on the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Thursday night time. (Jay Soldner/The Leaven)

Schieber advised Fox Information Digital that "we're a small archdiocese, so we've about 150 clergymen and everyone knows one another very well.

"We're like brothers to one another. And Father Arul was actually useful to me personally and shall be dearly missed," he mentioned.

The Archdiocese of Kansas Metropolis in Kansas mentioned "Father Arul was a devoted priest who devoutly served our archdiocese for greater than twenty years.

Carasala was discovered Thursday afternoon affected by gunshot wounds outdoors the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory, officers mentioned. (Jay Soldner/The Leaven)

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"Ordained in March 1994 in his dwelling Diocese of Cuddapah, India, he ministered at Sts. Peter and Paul… and in addition served as dean of the Nemaha-Marshall deanery. His deep religion, pastoral care, and beneficiant spirit touched the lives of so many," it added. "Everlasting relaxation grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual mild shine upon him."