Lenten Campaign 2025
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The man who is accused of shooting a Catholic priest in Kansas has been charged with an intentional and premeditated killing, said records from the county jail.
Gary Lee Hermesch, 66, has been held in the Nemaha County Jail since April 3, 2025. He was arrested in Seneca, Kansas, and charged with “Murder in the 1st degree. Intentional and premeditated,” according to his inmate record.
Hermesch is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.
On the afternoon April 3, 2025, police in Seneca responded to reports of gunshots outside the rectory of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Fr. Arul Carasala, 57, was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
Hermesch was arrested at the scene.
Suspect's history of letter writing
A motive for the shooting has not yet been released, but clues have emerged about Hermesch’s beliefs. From January 2021 through March 2024, Hermesch had written several letters to the editor of The Courier-Tribune, a newspaper based in Seneca, Kansas.
In the letters, Hermesch espoused negative feelings on the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and praised President Donald Trump.
He did not single out Carasala or the parish in his writings.
"Gentle spirit"
In his obituary, Fr. Carasala was remembered for his “gentle spirit and genuine care for the children of Sts. Peter & Paul School” and his melding of his Indian heritage and adopted home of Kansas.
“Father Arul was also a vibrant, fun-loving individual who shared his Indian heritage with those around him. He delighted parishioners by preparing delicious Indian dishes for church gatherings and contributed meals for auction to benefit the Baileyville Benefit and the Church’s Labor Day Picnic. He also embraced the local culture with an open heart. He relished the calm of small-town life, spending his days riding his bike through familiar streets and always ready to lend a hand to anyone who needed help. Father always desired to be a fatherly figure—someone who could guide others through sorrow and be a steady presence in their lives.”
Fr. Carasala arrived in Kansas in 2004, some 10 years after he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cuddapah, says the website for his parish. He was invited to serve in the archdiocese by the late Archbishop James Keleher.
After short stints at parishes throughout the archdiocese, Fr. Carasala was named the pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in 2011, said the parish website.
That same year, Carasala became an American citizen.
Carasla's memorial Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
