A man fatally shot a Catholic priest outside his parish rectory in Kansas on Thursday in an attack with no known motive, according to authorities.
The priest, Arul Carasala, 57, was found with gunshot wounds around 3 p.m. by state troopers outside the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory in Seneca, Kan. He was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Shortly thereafter, authorities arrested 66-year-old Gary L. Hermesch. On Friday, prosecutors charged Hermesch with first-degree murder, asserting that the shooting was intentional and premeditated, as detailed in court documents.
No immediate motive for the shooting has been disclosed. Jason Belveal, Hermesch's attorney, declined to comment on the situation.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City expressed grief over the incident, stating on Facebook, “This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend.” He further stated the importance of praying for the perpetrator, hoping for a transformation of his heart.
Seneca, a town with a population of about 2,000, is located in northern Kansas, near the Nebraska border. Authorities noted that Hermesch is from Tulsa, Okla., situated approximately 300 miles south of Seneca.
According to reports, Hermesch turned himself in at the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office, where his brother serves as a dispatcher.
Hermesch, a former resident of Seneca before relocating to Tulsa, had expressed increasing anger towards the Catholic Church in recent years, criticizing its teachings in letters to local newspapers.
Father Carasala, originally from Cuddapah, India, became the pastor of the Saints Peter and Paul parish on July 15, 2011. He was ordained in the Diocese of Cuddapah and moved to Kansas in 2004, serving in multiple parishes before settling in Seneca. He became a U.S. citizen on May 20, 2011, while maintaining his ties to India, believing that “the church is home wherever he is.”
In honor of Father Carasala, Archbishop Naumann held a Mass on Thursday evening and expressed hope amidst the tragedy, affirming that “God is with us in our adversity” and that good can emerge from evil.