SENECA, Kan. (TCN) — A 66-year-old Oklahoma man is in custody on suspicion of fatally shooting a 57-year-old priest.
On April 3, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Seneca Police responded to a report of shots fired at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Authorities found Father Arul Carasala suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Investigators identified Gary Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the primary suspect, and police took him into custody. He was booked into the Nemaha County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.
According to KSNT-TV, Hermesch had sent entries to local newspaper The Courier-Tribune from January 2021 to March 2020 and shared his opinions on religion and other topics in the Letter to the Editor column.
In one statement, Hermesch allegedly wrote, “Let’s not sweat the small stuff, though, maybe if we just follow Donald Trump’s example we’ll ‘make the Church great again.’ So why are things headed south like a runaway freight train? Simple. The faith is not being taught. Now is that equality and tolerance of other religions, or what?”
Hermesch’s letters reportedly never mentioned Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church or the victim.
In a statement posted onto Facebook, Archbishop Joseph Naumann 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. 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.”
- News Release – Kansas Bureau of Investigation
- Statement – Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann
- Nemaha County Jail
- Man charged in Seneca priest’s death wrote about religion, more to local newspaper – KSNT
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