Oklahoma man charged in killing of Kansas priest
SENECA (KSNT) - Authorities have filed an official charge against an Oklahoma man Friday for allegedly shooting and killing a Catholic priest in Seneca earlier this week.
Court records with the District Court of Nemaha County show Gary L. Hermesch, 66, of Oklahoma was charged with murder in the first degree on April 4. He is accused of shooting Father Arul Carasala, 57, of Seneca on Thursday, April 3. Hermesch has no criminal history and was assigned a court-appointed attorney.
Law enforcement was called at 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 to the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory located at 411 Pioneer Street in Seneca on reports of gunshots, according to a report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). Deputies with the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office and officers with the Seneca Police Department found Father Carasala outside the rectory suffering from gunshot wounds.
First responders took Father Carasala to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. However, he later died at the hospital despite attempts to save his life.
"Fr. Carasala was a devoted priest who faithfully served our archdiocese for more than 20 years, most recently as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and dean of the Nemaha-Marshall deanery. He was ordained in 1994 in his home Diocese of Cuddapah, India. We ask for prayers for his family, parishioners, and all who are grieving this great loss."
Marissa Easter, director of communications with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas press release excerpt on April 3
Law enforcement later arrested Hermesch in connection to the shooting. He was taken to the Nemaha County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas held a rosary and then a mass on April 3 in memory of Father Carasala at his church. Archbishop Joseph Naumann issued a statement following these services on April 4.
"Dear friends, it was an honor to be with so many of you during Mass last night at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca, where Father Arul Carasala served as pastor. We prayed in confidence that Father Arul, who loved Jesus and followed him so zealously in this world, is with our Lord now.
Father Arul was a friend to me and a great priest. I shared in my homily that being a priest today requires heroic love. That quality was evident in Father Arul, who left India to come to the heartland of America and serve the people of the Catholic Church in northeast Kansas.
While we continue to mourn the loss of Father Arul, I pray that we will not lose hope. God is with us in our adversity. He can bring good out of evil. He can bring life out of death. Let us draw closer to Jesus during this time of sorrow and ask him to console our hearts."
Archbishop Joseph Naumann social media statement excerpt
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