Lenten Campaign 2025
This content is free of charge, as are all our articles.
Support us with a donation that is tax-deductible and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers.
A man was arrested Thursday for the shooting death of Fr. Arul Carasala at his rectory in Kansas.
Carasala, 57, was shot Thursday, April 3, outside the rectory of his parish, Sts. Peter and Paul in Seneca, Kansas. He was transported to a local hospital and died there, said a post from the parish’s Facebook page.
His death was announced on Thursday afternoon by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
“I am heartbroken to share the tragic news of the death of Fr. Arul Carasala, who was fatally shot earlier today. This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” wrote Naumann in an April 3 post on Facebook.
Carasala, said Naumann, “was a devoted and zealous pastor who faithfully served our Archdiocese for over 20 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,” he said.
Naumann requested prayers for Carasala’s family in Cuddapah, India, as well as for his parish.
“Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart,” said Naumann, who added “there is no ongoing threat to the community.”
A man was taken into custody at the scene of the crime, reported local media.
Gary Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested and booked into the Nemaha County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
He has not yet been formally charged with the murder. A motive for the crime has yet to be determined.
Tulsa is about a five-hour drive from Seneca.
Fr. Carasala arrived in Kansas in 2004, 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.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of Father Arul Carasala due to a senseless act of violence,” and that he was “praying for Father Carasala’s family, friends, and parishioners as they grieve.”
