Kansas pastor fatally shot; Archbishop Naumann prays for priest and perpetrator

The pastor of a parish in Seneca, Kan., was shot in his rectory and later died of his injuries at a local hospital April 3.

In a message shared on social media, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas said he was “heartbroken to share the tragic news” of the death of Father Raj “Arul” Carasala. “This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he said.

“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,” he continued. “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.”

By late afternoon April 3, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced an arrest had been made in connection to the shooting death of Father Arul, 57. Gary L. Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested and booked into the Nemaha County Jail for first-degree murder.

A message from the diocese’s vicar general shared by the parish’s social media said Archbishop Naumann had gone to Seneca to console and pray with Sts. Peter and Paul parishioners and area priests.

The Knights of Columbus led the rosary at 6 p.m. April 3, followed by a 7:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann. A cantor sang “Be Still My Soul” a cappella as mourners filled the church.

In his opening remarks, Archbishop Naumann again called Father Carasala’s death a “senseless tragedy.”

“Father Arul spent his life making this Blessed Sacrament available to us, and so I think this would please him to see this church full tonight and drawing ourselves into the presence of the Risen Lord,” the archbishop said.

Father Carasala had served since 2011 as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, a town with a population around 2,100 about 115 miles northwest of Kansas City. According to a biography on the parish’s website, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cuddapah in southeast India in 1994 and began ministering in Kansas in 2004, where he served at several parishes before his last assignment. He became an American citizen in 2011.

“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,” Archbishop Naumann said in his social media statement.

“There is no ongoing threat to the community, but I recognize the pain and shock that such an event brings. In moments like these, we turn to our Lord, who is close to the brokenhearted,” he continued. “As we grieve, may we find strength in our faith and in the hope of Christ’s Resurrection.”

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