The Rev. Arul Karasala was found outside his Kansas parish home on Thursday, officials said. An Oklahoma man was arrested, though a motive remains unknown.
A man shot and killed a Catholic priest outside his Kansas parish home Thursday. The motive for the attack is unknown, authorities said.
Priest Arul Karasala, 57, was found with gunshot wounds around 3 p.m. by state troopers outside the parish house of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The priest was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Shortly thereafter, authorities arrested Gary L. Hermesh, 66, who was booked into the Nemaha County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, the bureau said. It was unclear what led to Mr. Hermesh's arrest. It was not immediately known whether he had an attorney.
A motive for the shooting has not yet been released. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the investigation is ongoing.
“This senseless act of violence has left us saddened by the loss of a beloved priest, leader and friend,” Kansas City Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann wrote on Facebook. He added, “Let us also pray for the perpetrator that God may touch and transform his heart.”
Seneca is a town of about 2,000 people in northern Kansas, near the Nebraska border. Authorities said Mr. Hermesch is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is about 300 miles south of Seneca.
Raj “Arul” Balaswamy Karasala was born in Cuddapah, India, a city in the southeast of the country. According to an online biography, Karasala's father became pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish on July 15, 2011.
He was ordained in the Diocese of Cuddapah and moved to Kansas in 2004, where he served in four different parishes before settling in Seneca.
According to the biography, Father Karasal became an American citizen on May 20, 2011. He maintained ties with India and considered “the church to be his home, wherever he was.”
Archbishop Naumann celebrated Mass in honor of Father Carasala on Thursday evening, according to social media posts.
“As we continue to mourn the loss of Father Arul, I pray that we do not lose hope. God is with us in our trials,” Archbishop Naumann said. “He can bring good out of evil.”
Claire Fahey reports from New York City and beyond for The Times. More about Claire Fahey
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